You sound like me (except I'm not a mom). I just had a soil test done. I think now is probably a good time to do it. The UMass extension site says they get really busy in the spring with soil testing, and encourage people to send them in at other times of the year to get a faster response.

I've found out that my soil is very acidic (not too surprised) and lacking in nutrients. I think I'm going to spread some compost, overseed, and add lime. I wanted to wait on the test results to see if I really needed the lime, and it looks like I do. I knew I was going to add the compost & more grass seed either way. (My front lawn isn't looking so good - big dead section.)

Now is the time to have a good soil test done so you can start making the corrections you may need to this fall so your soil will be ready next spring. If corrections to soil pH need to be done fall is the time to do that since that takes time and adding what is necessary in the spring is not going to make the necessary corrections by the time plants are up and growing. In addition to that soil test form your states ag school, (Cooperative Extension Service) these simple soil tests may be of some help,
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

Okay, thanks for the advice! I dug up a bunch of soil samples from different areas of the lawn per the UMass instructions. As soon as its dried and sifted I'll send off their required 1 cup and use the rest to do the jar test that Kimmsr suggests.

But I can tell already that our soil doesn't smell putrid, but neither does it smell earthy and good. And there are almost no earthworms anywhere except in my raised garden beds in the back. Never when digging in the lawn have i seen an earthworm. The texture is odd. It looks and feels sandy, but when it is dry, if we havent gotten rain, the lawn is so hard I can barely get a shovel to do into it by standing on it and putting all my weight into it. I needed a hammer to try to chip out some soil samples and finally gave up and waited for rain to sample.