Whenever I tell another mom that my youngest child’s birthday is in August, they inevitably make a comment about how nice it must be to be able to throw parties in the summer. I won’t lie: it is a snap. From a Taylor-themed picnic at our local pool to a piñata dangling from a park shelter, summer birthdays are simple to set up. But while my youngest enjoys her fun in the sun, my older three kids really hit the jackpot. My twins will turn 11 on October 30, and my oldest will officially become a teenager on Halloween itself — how cool is that? But I maybe lucked out the most here, as the mom responsible for planning their parties.

As an October baby myself, I have fond memories of bonfires with friends, screaming as we clutched each other throughout haunted houses, and cozy sleepovers filled with scary movies. When I was a kid my mom told me that the leaves changed colors to wish me a happy birthday. Growing up outside of Pittsburgh in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, those leaves have always put on quite the birthday show.

I teared up the first time I told my oldest that same family lore, and my twins after that. (Of course my youngest was mad — we told her the grass turns brown in August to celebrate her birth.) When that crisp scent hits the air, four decades of feeling loved and celebrated rushes to the forefront of my mind. The whole month is festive, like everybody pulled out the sugary treats just for you. And unlike a December birthday, you’re not competing for attention with family and religious obligations. Meanwhile, a summer birthday has to play Jenga between friends’ vacation schedules. October parties are a breeze. October is designed for partying.

It’s woven into the fabric of the season, really. While I’m not crafty in the least, I am capable of buying every single Halloween-themed snack that exists. I buy my kids Little Debbie pumpkin cakes each year the very first time I see them on the shelf — the official kickoff to our party season. Sadly, this year it was August 19… but they still taste good when it’s hot out.

Plus, the vibes are just right, all around town. While I had to scour Amazon for Swiftie-themed plates and battle purple balloons through a pool house locker room in August, our Halloween decorations double as birthday decor, though there’s no rhyme or reason to it. We’ve just decided as a family to meld the two occasions. A collection of skeletons we’ve found while thrifting, some purple lights I got off our local Buy Nothing Group, and a giant Dollar Tree spiderweb along the front of our house complete the look. We’ve got a spooky Peppa inflatable that I will put up until my kids are adults just to embarrass them. I’ve got my eye on Tractor Supply Company’s human-sized chicken skeleton this year, despite my husband mentioning some pesky thing called a “budget.” When they were toddlers, my kids were convinced the entire town decorates to celebrate their birth, and we never corrected that misconception.

I truly feel like October is my time to shine as a mom. And on Halloween night? We. Go. All. Out. We order a stack of pizzas, toss some eyeball ping-pong balls in a bowl of Mountain Dew (this is the extent of my craftiness), and invite any and every friend and neighbor over to celebrate. Our neighborhood loves Halloween — hundreds of costumed kids traipse up our walk each and every year. We always gain a few new friends throughout the course of the evening. They stop by for pizza breaks between candy runs and giggle on the porch while they swap treats at the end of the night. Sure, summer parties may be easy, but nothing beats having a Boo Baby.

Meg St-Esprit, M. Ed., is a journalist and essayist based in Pittsburgh, PA. She’s a mom to four kids via adoption as well as a twin mom. She loves to write about parenting, education, trends, and the general hilarity of raising little people.