You sure can tell it’s the end of summer at our house, and not just because of the sweatshirts.

One camping trip is behind us, more eventful than we’d planned. The annual MESS tournament, so named because it is the single event of the Michigan Editorial Softball Society, brought an 0-3 record, dehydration from playing three games back to back between the hours of 1 and 4, an odd drinking game involving a gallon of milk, and a trip to the local urgent care center. Ah, the joys of dragging the boy in because he lopped off the tip of his thumb with a hatchet, to be greeted by a sign announcing that our insurance was not accepted there. Because it just wasn’t enough to have to buy all our wood on site because you can’t cart it around the state anymore.

The middle school supply list arrived, much to my daughter’s delight, and she is scheduled for a haircut this week. Having a strict dress code has seriously curtailed any interest in shopping for clothes, and I think as long as they have acceptable shoes they will be willing to hold off on acquiring more khakis and polos.

Basketball practice has begun, with its requisite lap running, and my daughter was exhausted after day 2. My son, on the other hand, finally finished his online course Monday and is thrilled to have two weeks without homework, so the guitars suddenly have been getting more attention again.

We will be gone on the annual Rifle River bonanza over Labor Day, so this is the last weekend the kids can stay up as late as they want pigging out on horror flicks and video-on-demand skateboard accidents. I might even stay up with them; “Pan’s Labyrinth” is on the menu now.

This post originally appeared on ourMidland.com, the online home of the Midland (MI) Daily News. Republished with permission.