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| This year, the family’s Halloween costume theme is all about bugs |
It
all began in 2013 with a simple hand-me down costume. It was Isabelle Gonzalez’s
second Halloween and she dressed up as Jessie, a character from Pixar’s “Toy
Story” films. What was missing from the costume ensemble, however, was the
infamous red hat and red braided hair. That’s when Isabelle’s mother, Kaela, decided
to complete the Halloween outfit by making the hat and hair herself. “For
Isabelle’s first Halloween, my mother made her a Grover costume. I figured I
could at least pull off a hat”, stated Kaela.
“From
that point I was hooked on the idea of making costumes, and since, it has
morphed into a full-blown Halloween adventure for the whole family, creating a
tradition I never intended to begin,” Kaela stated of her exceptional creative
outlet.
Now,
the whole Gonzalez family gets in on the Halloween fun by dressing up in theme
inspired costumes that are cleverly created and hand-made by Kaela and her
family. In Halloween pasts, the Gonzalez clan – which has grown to include a
son Alex, age six, a daughter, Lilia, age two and Kaela’s mother, Jo-Ann Laggan
- have been a family of porcupines, characters from the book, “Where the Wild
Things Are” and a family of chickens.
“That
costume took a lot of white boas to make up the feathers. I think I bought out
the company in Canada that sold them,” Kaela joked about the chicken family costumes.
“Lilia was just a baby then, so she was a little chick coming out of a hatched
egg.” Dad and husband, Miguel, who was dressed as the farmer carried their
“little chick” as the family of chickens walked from door to door along
Raymond’s main street.
“I remembered that when we were chickens, I found
feathers on the library lawn a week or so later. So, we left a lasting
impression,” Kaela laughed. She has also made the Halloween bags the children use
every year.
This
year, the family’s Halloween costume theme is all about bugs and will include a
butterfly (Isabelle), praying mantas (Alex) and a monarch caterpillar (Lilia).
Dad, mom and grandmother will be the entomologists, dressed in field vests
carrying their magnifying glasses, insect nets, notebooks and writing utensils
– because after all – entomologists always need to be prepared for scientific
study.
Kaela
admits that the Gonzalez family Halloween tradition can be a bit daunting and
overwhelming at times, acknowledging that it takes a village to create costumes
of this extent. “I was having some difficulty making the butterfly wings; I
couldn’t get the two wings to stay upright and stiff. I asked around to see if anybody
had any suggestions and a co-worker suggested using epoxy. And it worked! The
wings remain open and stiff – just like I envisioned.”
Kaela’s
mother and husband help, too, whether it’s sewing or other creative
undertakings. “My husband helped me hand paint Isabelle’s butterfly wings,” she
said. “That was a very tedious task so having his help expedited the process
and my mother made the green pants and shirt for the praying mantas.”
There
are times, between the demands of her job with the Town of Raymond and raising
three children, when the intensity that comes with creating the costumes can
almost bring her to tears. “One day, I called my husband at work and told him I
just didn’t think I could do it this year,” she explained. “This was after we
purchased all the material – which can be expensive - and I had already spent a
lot of time on them. He told me to take a break and spend some time with Lilia
before I made my decision to continue or not. That small break is all it took
and was back at it the next day.”
The
costumes must be tested before the big Halloween celebration to make sure all
parts are in working order. “The other day, we put Lilia in her caterpillar
costume so she could walk around on the driveway and the grass to see how the
wheels on the lower part of the costume would work on different surfaces,”
Kaela explained. “Sure enough, a wheel came off and we had to reattach it more securely.
The one thing I didn’t think of when making the caterpillar costume was how
Lilia will go up and down steps.”
Despite
the sometimes-overwhelming tasks that comes with such an extensively creative endeavor,
Kaela stated that seeing her family all dressed up for Halloween is very
rewarding and worth it in the end.
“I’m
creative by nature and this is one way I get to use my imagination and produce
something meaningful to me; creating memories for my family,” Kaela said. “It
takes perseverance, the ability to rethink and regroup when things aren’t quite
working out as I envisioned and asking for help, but it is all worth it. It’s
something my children can look back on and reminisce – sharing their memories
of a crazy mom and her need to create - with their own families when they’re
adults.”
Kaela
also hopes that this Halloween family tradition imparts on her children the
importance of making hand-made gifts for others and taking time for those they
love and care about. “I hope my children will see the value of giving to others
and how it can make others happy.”
So?
What will the Gonzalez family’s Halloween theme be next year? Kaela will start
thinking about it on November 1st. “As soon as Halloween is over, I begin to
think about next year’s costumes. It takes me a couple of months to determine
exactly what I want to create and once I do, I begin purchasing the items
needed and start creating them. It literally takes a year from conception to a
finished product.”
“But,”
Kaela quickly added with an exhausted smile. “I just may take a break next
year.”
