Purim Costume Madness

Every year I tell my family to choose their costumes rely. I need time to scour Value Village or sew. This stems from the year I was engaged. Sean's parents threw our engagement party on Purim. Anyone who knows is is nodding, smiling, and thinking, "How very appropriate." (Did I ever mention our cake topper was Lady and the Tramp? Oh well, a story for another day.) Anyway, it's not like Sean didn't know he'd need a costume. He helped make the invitations. So, the day arrives, and he has no costume. He looks through my parents' attic and finds a couple of lights, which he ties to a string, and drapes across his neck. Add a straw behind his ear as an antennae and a paper plate steering wheel, and, voila, he was a car. The worst designed costume ever! Plus the lights were heavy, and he had to take them off about 5 minutes into the party.

So, costume decisions MUST be made at least 2 weeks before Purim.

This year it fell apart. Come Purim no one had ideas. I, having been sick that week, planned on using one of the many costumes in our costume storage. (Yes, I have 2 large rubbermaid bins filled with costumes and props.) So I had the Cat in the Hat on Wednesday night and a great clown on Thursday.

Suddenly, with Megillah just hours off, everyone was scrambling. I took out the bins, spread everything out, and Sean just grabbed.

 Wow!

Gavi and Keren were harder. Who knew they were costume snobs. God forbid they wear something they've worn before! After some quick googling of easy costumes, I came up with the lumberjack from Monty Python. Keren's costume took until the very last minute, but, with lots of safety pins and a dress of mine, she became a beautiful Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In hindsight, I realize a disposable coffee cup and danish would have been better than the long cigarette holder, but the brain is slow when we're running late to Megillah reading.

 One more year, and Eema again works miracles in the costume department.

And, should you think that only I am the miracle worker, Sean arranged for Jesse to read Megillah in Halifax, just hours before the holiday started. Thank you the Chabad in Halifax. They really came through for him.

Until next year...