October 1 - Welcome to the 'Ber' Months – The Final Countdown

 It’s October 1st, and we’re diving headfirst into the ‘Ber’ months—October, November, and December. The time of year where things go from “too early to buy Halloween candy” to “I’m stress-eating it while wrapping Christmas gifts” faster than you can say ‘pumpkin spice.’ Blink, and the whole season’s over.

For me, October kicks things off with Halloween—but not in the way you might think. We’ve never handed out candy at my house. Honestly? My street’s a ghost town when it comes to trick-or-treaters, and we’re usually out trick-or-treating ourselves anyway, so why bother? Haunted houses? Nope, not our scene either.

But our Halloween tradition has been Fright Fest at Six Flags. The kids love it, and I’ll admit—I’m into it, too. I’ll never forget our first Fright Fest. We warned Natalie she might get too scared, but she insisted she could handle it. Spoiler: She couldn’t. Cue full meltdown mode one tunnel in. We were an hour and a half from home, standing in line at a Mexican restaurant, and Natalie was losing it. My sister-in-law and I were at our wits’ end, but thankfully, a show director rescued us, letting Natalie chill in a ‘safe zone’ while we braved the haunted houses. Not the night we planned, but it’s now a family legend we laugh about.

In past years, we’ve gone all out with family theme costumes. One year we were Monsters Inc., last year we rocked the Barbie world. This year? I’m torn. Part of me wants to stick with the tradition if the kids are game, but I’m not sure how much longer the teenagers will tolerate it.

My son Josiah’s already 18, Alivia turns 18 in December, and Natalie’s close behind. Watching them grow up is this weird mix of pride and panic. Like, can we just hit the pause button for a minute? They act like they’ve outgrown Halloween, rolling their eyes at me like I just suggested they hand out their social security numbers instead of candy.

But deep down, I know they’re not ready to let it all go. They pretend they’ve moved on, but secretly? I think they still love that I’m pulling for one last hurrah together. They won’t admit it, but they want to hang with me—even if it’s from the sidelines while they’re texting their friends about some party they’re not at.

With Presley still being eight, I get a do-over. There’s time left to keep the Halloween magic alive with her. But with the older ones? I’m holding on for dear life, catching whatever scraps of childhood I can before they vanish into the void of adulthood.

So, yeah, Halloween looks different these days. Instead of little witches and superheroes tearing through the neighborhood, I’ve got teens balancing hanging with mom and texting about FOMO. And honestly? I’ll take it. Because at the end of the day, these ‘Ber’ months are all about holding on to the chaos, the eye rolls, and the magic—however fleeting it may be.

And while I’m not one of those people who wants pumpkin spice in everything from my latte to my laundry detergent, give me a slice of pumpkin pie drowning in Cool Whip, and I’m good.

So as we kick off this season of change, nostalgia, and chaos, I’m curious: What do you love most about October? Is it the crisp air, the changing leaves, or maybe your own family traditions? Drop a comment below and share your favorite part of this magical month. Who knows? You might just inspire a new tradition for someone else’s family. After all, these ‘Ber’ months are about creating memories—whether they’re picture-perfect or wonderfully messy.