The four musketeers’ numbers have been whittled to three, now that one has been deported to Iowa. The first request was to have someone spend the night this weekend, granted; then word came that another might come, and would that be OK?

Again, granted. Only one fellow freshman brought a guitar and amp, but he also brought a stack of multiplayer Xbox 360 games, and the third brought an extra controller.

So as I sat updating the website this morning, this was my soundtrack:

“I’m an alpha zombie. What does that mean?”

“Why am I still infected?”

“Put away the energy sword.”

“We run you over with the mongoose.”

“No, ’cause he’s got an energy sword.”

“Where’s the banshee?”

“I’m infected AGAIN?”

And why was this going on at 7 a.m.? Because they were up. All. Night.

To be sure this involved Amp, Vault, dark M&Ms and berry Mike & Ikes. But there were no household obligations until Sunday, and they were quiet enough shooting things that us parental types could sleep.

By the time I finished working, they were tiring of Halo 3 and moving to the last in their pile, Portal. The Boy offered doughnuts and apple juice, and the mayhem continued.

There’s not a lot of sleep in sleepovers here.

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