I was going to write a “you know summer is over when…” column. The first awareness I was going to add was that school supplies are in the stores. However, it’s not a good indicator of summer being over because school supplies are out at the beginning of July. You also can’t say summer is over when you can’t find a bathing suit in the store, because you’d be hard pressed to find one in July, either. And for God’s sake, Costco had Halloween stuff out at the beginning of this month.

I knew summer would fly by as soon as I planned it out. If you camp at state parks, you have to plan early. Even May is not early enough. Next year I’m setting my phone calendar to remind me to book our camping exactly nine months before we camp in each venue, which is the amount of time you’re allowed to book ahead.

My mother likes to have my family’s summer schedule in advance so she knows where we are and when we’re going to be gone. Back in June, when I emailed her the agenda, it felt like summer was already over. Just putting it in writing made me see how crazy our summer would be. I could just tell it would fly by. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago I was ready to cancel the rest of it because I was tired of rushing all over the place.

The last two functions I had planned were not too mentally taxing. My sister had her final visit of the summer; she’s easy to accommodate. Then I just had to deal with finding an RV spot for two more nights for our last car show of the season in September. I had booked a site for a couple days before the car show started, but I didn’t start reserving early enough and could not find a place for the nights during the actual event. So one evening last week, I holed up with my laptop, determined to figure it out. Then, surprise, our same camping spot coincidently opened up for those last two nights. I felt like I’d won the summer and it revived my attitude to complete the summer on top.

In the past the end of summer for me was indicated when the kids found out who their teachers were in elementary school, then when they got older, their schedules in high school. I might have had to intervene and fight the good fight for them. Or commiserate their fates with them. Now they are both out of high school and this fall my schedule will essentially be my own.

I’m not sure I’m responsible enough to handle a schedule made up of only my own responsibilities. I’ll have to join the rest of the adult working world and have a routine that has no definite transitions, like those who work for a living with a few vacations in a year. My children were the reason I had any set plans every day because I work from home and I wouldn’t call it high productivity.

I’ve been ruminating over my imminent fate all summer, but now that the end is almost here, I’m getting rather excited by the prospect of school starting and not being a part of it. No battles to fight, no schedules to rally for, no fees to pay. But it does mean the end of an era for my family.

At this point in my life I can’t decide whether to let summer drag me kicking and screaming into autumn or let it gracefully slide out of my grasp.

Gretchen Leigh is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Covington. You can read more of her writing and her daily blog on her website livingwithgleigh.com or on Facebook at “Living with Gleigh,” or twitter @livewithgleigh. Her column is available every week atmaplevalleyreporter.com under the Lifestyles section.