2006
★ THE YEAR of THE OSTRICH ★
Waverly’s Costume Rank: ★★★★★
Dad’s Costume Rank: ★★★★½
Extending our animal theme, we decided to branch out with our ever-growing construction skills and Waverly’s willingness to try new concepts and contraptions.
for a successful costume.
fabrication
Through some random shipment I had secured an amazing piece of packing foam, the specific name of which I do not know. It was both pliable and capable of being carved with a knife and this particular piece fit around Waverly’s waist like a dream—we almost did not need suspenders. Adding a dryer vent hose for a neck was a snap and Waverly’s grandmother again graciously added the papier-mâché head—her work has more animal personality than ours. Natasha knew of the feather supplier for Sesame Street’s Big Bird and we were set!
the big night
Early on we decided to make the ostrich mouth the receptacle for trick-or-treat candy and we engineered a removable cup underneath the ostrich body as well as a top access hatch so Waverly could see her loot. The sad part of all this effort is that so few people could comprehend the concept of putting candy in the ostrich mouth and not a bag. It appeared the more educated the neighbor, the less likely they could comply to Waverly’s commands. While standing in the shadows, all I remember hearing is Waverly saying, “Put the candy in the mouth. In the mouth, please!”
Note about feathers: if you ever order feathers for a similar use, do not use dyed feathers! The color comes off on your hands and your child.
miscellany
The only sad part of this costume is that the waist line was engineered for Waverly’s five-year-old body. She has since tried to wear this costume and it’s a real struggle to fit into.
update
For 2011, we needed a costume for Waverly who was attending a pre-Halloween party. Our Busker Monkey costume was not quite ready so we ascended to the attic storage facility and Waverly selected Ostrina, the ostrich costume. I needed to make waist adjustments and while I was handling the costume, a tiny heart fell out of the mouth and onto the floor. Waverly had secretly and discreetly placed it in the costume before we entombed it in plastic. True love.