Now I'll tell you a little about my friends.

First, there's Karen Brewer. Her older step-sister, Kristy Thomas was the original founder and president of the Baby-Sitters Club, when Karen was six. I gotta say, Kristy was a great baby-sitter. Karen has a little brother of her own, Andrew who's twelve. Karen's parents are divorced and she goes back and forth every other month between her two houses. This month I think she was living with her mom and her step-dad. Karen and Andrew's dad is a millionare who lives in a mansion with Kristy's mom, Karen and Andrew's step-mom and their step-mom's kids from when she was married first. Their other step-siblings are Sam and Charlie, who don't live with them anymore (I think they are off at college) and David Micheal, who's fifteen and goes to my school. Karen goes to Stoneybrook Day School, a private middle school. Oh yeah and I can't forget, Mrs. Thomas adopted another daughter from Vietnam when she was two, her name's Emily Michelle and she's ten now and we sit for her alot. Karen is a lot like Kristy, take charge and full of ideas. Sometimes her ideas get her into trouble and sometimes her mouth does too. Karen is also the oldest member of our club and our new president. She's a pretty casual dresser, like Kristy is and Karen has blond hair, blue eyes, freckles, and wears pink framed glasses. She's allowed to wear contacts, which she does most of the time now.

Next there's Nina Marshall. She's our club treasurer, which means she collects our club dues and makes sure we earn enough money. Nina has a younger sister named Eleanor. Nina has long curly blonde hair, well actually I should say she had hair like that. Recently she dyed it all black! Nina dresses a little like me. She's pretty trendy. Nina is also down to earth and hardly gets into any trouble. She's just there you know?

Then there's Suzi Barrett. She has a big family too, only hers is one kid short and doesn't like her family the way I like mine. She has two older brothers one nick named Buddy (his real name is Hamilton), he's fifteen years old, and her step-brother Taylor, he's fourteen. She has an older step-sister named Lindsey who's sixteen and my brother Nicky's girlfriend, she has another step-sister named Madeleine who's twelve (a year younger than Suzi), and she has two younger siblings, her ten year old step-brother Ryan and her ten year old sister Marnie. Suzi's a fun person to be around, I bet she's never bored! Oh yeah, and Suzi's the club alternate officer, meaning when another officer's not at the meeting she gets to have their job and do their duties. Suzi and her siblings live with her mom and her step-dad, (Ryan, Taylor, Lindsey, and Madeleine's dad) Franklin.

Then there's Myriah, who I already mentioned. Myriah grew up with her two younger sisters, Gabbie who's ten and Laura Beth is eight and we sit for both of them a lot. Myriah is very talented and takes a lot of different classes. Myriah's hobbies (besides sitting of course) are singing, dancing, and acting. Myriah is really nice. She's probably my closest friend besides Suzi. Myriah is our club secretary, I think that's a really good job for her because she's really neat. What she does as secretary is write notes, and keep track of the club record book, where all our jobs are written down and any other things such as her classes and other appointments we have. It also has club info such as names, phone numbers and client's addresses. It's a really useful book and I'm glad we have Myriah to manage it.

Last but not least, is Jenny Prezzioso and I have to admit, she's pretty new to this baby-sitting thing so we made her an asscioate officer, so we call her we when really need someone to take a job. Jenny still comes to meetings because Karen thinks its only fair that every club member comes to the meetings. Jenny is pretty nice, but she can be really snobby. No offense, Jenny is kinda spoiled. She asks for something, and in a pinch she has it. Jenny has a little sister named Andrea, who is only eight.

So those are the members of the Baby-Sitters Club these days and I think we're a pretty good team. We're a real mix of sugar, spice, and all things nice if you ask me.

Anyway, as soon as everyone had arrived we gathered in my room, which mostly serves as the club headquarters if Margo's not there. Sometimes we meet in the livingroom, den, or kitchen. It doesn't really matter, because each room has a phone. Everyone spread out their sleeping bags and blankets and we all sat down on them. (I was on my bed.)

"I'm already bored. I just know this is going to be a boring summer." I told everyone.

"I totally agree." said Suzi.

"I don't agree. Fun things are always going on at my dad's house. Hey, Claire you have a big family like mine, I'm sure there's a bunch of fun things you're gonna do." Karen pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so." I shrugged.

"Aren't you going to Sea City though?" Karen asked me. This brightened me up alot. "Yes! I forgot!" I cried.

Karen laughed. "Hey, remember that year when me and Andrew went to Sea City with you guys?"

"Yeah, I do remember. Remember when I used to call 'Burger Garden', 'Gurber Garden'?" I said.

Everyone laughed at that. "You did? Really?" asked Myriah.

"Yeah, I really did. Everyone used to ask me, 'What is that place called?' and then I'd say, 'Gurber Garden'! It was the funniest thing." Everyone laughed some more. I loved Sea City a lot. Every summer my family goes there and there were two years that stuck out the most in my mind. One year was when my mom hired Stacey McGill and Mary Anne Spier to be mother's helpers and they came with us. They're former Baby-Sitters Club members.

"Hey, do you remember when Margo and I got to be on the float in that parade? Remember when we got to dress up as mermaids?" Karen asked me.

I laughed. "Yeah, we've got picutres." I replied.

"Well, this summer I'm going to be very busy." spoke up Myriah.

"Yeah, what are you doing anyway?" asked Nina.

"I'm going to summer camp. Overnight for a week in July." Myriah replied.

"What about you Jenny?" I asked. Jenny was sprawled on the floor, looking as elegant as ever. Her mom and dad call her "Angel" and the only kinds of jeans Jenny wears are the designer ones. Right now, she looked like a fashion model, and Nina, Myriah, Karen, and I looked like regular every day teenagers. Jenny was wearing a white silky tee shirt with slits in the sleeves and "Angel" inscribed on it with blue and silver glitter, she was also wearing a frilly pink skirt with beaded butterflies on it, a silvery charm bracelet dangled from one wrist and on her face was lots of silvery make-up, even though we weren't in school.

Jenny sighed. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll go to summer camp too."

Nina, Myriah, Karen, and I almost burst out laughing. That wasn't the sort of thing Jenny would be caught dead doing.

"Oh...that's um, great Jenny." I said.

"I know one thing for sure, I'm going to be baby-sitting my sister all summer long." said Nina.

"Me too," everyone groaned, then we all laughed.