"What is your homework, Joe?" I asked him. "You barely ever have homework, right?"

He nodded. "Yup. Let's go to my backpack now, kay, Karen?"

I was helping Joe with his homework. That's the room that he, Ryan, Taylor and Buddy share. A lot of people, right? You bet! Madeleine was secluded in her room. Marnie and Emily were playing at the Game Cube set up in her, Brianna and Katherine's room. Madeleine, Suzi and Lindsey also share a room. Obviously, Mrs. And Mr. DeWitt want to add on to their house so they won't be that cramped.

In the living room Brianna and Ryan were watching Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (don't ask me why a five year old girl is interested in watching that) while in the same room Jen was playing with Katherine.

'Family tree," Joe replied when he was back at the desk. "We're supposed to add middle names and middle names if we know them."

I looked at his sheet. Everything was filled out up till his parents---"Franklin George DeWitt" and----I couldn't read his mom's name. His mom had written a line far to the left saying "Hamilton Kyle Barrett" then a line that connected them had three blank lines. The line that connected Mr. and Mrs. Dewitt had two empty lines, one already printed with "Joseph Kyle DeWitt." Another line protruding form Franklin's had "Madeleine Lynn Currier" on it and a few empty lines by the line connecting them.

"Okay, so you can't spell the names? Is that your problem?"

Joe nodded again. I printed them for him to copy:

Hamilton Craig Barrett

Suzanne Ruth Barrett

Marnie Arianna Barrett

Brianna Lauren DeWitt

Katherine Mary DeWitt

Lindsey Jane DeW----

"Karen!" Marnie shouted. "Ryan snuck into my room and turned off the Game Cube!"

I turned to Joe. "Please work on these while I see what's going on?"

We found Ryan back watching the movie, while Katherine was asleep in Jen's lap and Brianna was trying to spell Katherine on a piece of paper. I could tell that because she was reading from the paper, "K-a-t-h-r-i-n-n? Is that right, Jenny-Jenners?" (Don't even ask about Brianna's creative names for everybody.)

"Hey, Jen. I'll put Katherine to bed and bring Brianna if you resolve the Emily and Marnie against Ryan thing."

Jen shrugged, which was hard to do on account of a two year old draped over her shoulder. Gently she shifted Katherine into my arms. Brianna clung to me all the way up stairs. "Okay, Kareen-Spleen. Let's go!" We put Katherine in her bed and had no choice but to go to Madeleine's room. "American Idiot" was blasting so loud I feared Katherine would wake up.

"Hey, Madeleine? Can you---"

"No! I thought I made it clear to everyone I won't be doing any babysitting! God!" she slammed her door shut.

"Katherine's sleeping. Could you turn down the music?" I tried again. Geez and I thought Jen was snooty sometimes. No wonder Madeleine didn't go to the movies with the others, which made a lot of sense.

"Fine! Just fine!" Madeleine shouted back. She turned it down, a notch. Well, that's another thing that's "just fine!" Madeleine's attitude! Not.

Guess another thing that's "just fine." Katherine's calling out, "Mama! Mama!"

I grabbed Brianna's hand and dashed back into the room, where Katherine was sitting up in bed. I hugged her and patted her back. "Hello, big girl," I said soothingly. "Hi! How are you doing?"

"Ew!" Brianna held her nose.

Nasty. The smell told all how she was doing. "Brianna? Could you be a grown up girl and stay in the hall while I clean this up?"

"Yucky!" exclaimed Brianna. "I don't want to see that anyway." She ran off.

I sang "Mary Had a Little Lamb" while I changed her diaper. From experience I know that's her favorite song. Her face lit up while I worked. Unhappy baby + diaper changeBabysitter's nightmare!

After I had rocked Katherine back to sleep we went downstairs to see what Jen and the others were doing. Jen was a miracle worker! All the kids seemed happy. Jen was watching Lord of the Rings with Emily and Marnie. Ryan was playing his Game Boy Advance. "It's eight," I told Brianna. "Bedtime for the little bunny!"

"No! No---"Brianna exclaimed good naturedly, and then I tickled her until she walked over to Jen.

"Jen, can you put Bri to bed while I help Joe finish his homework?"

Jen nodded as she took Brianna's hand. "Jammy time! Let's go, I'll race you!" the two ran up the stairs, Brianna giggling all the way.

"Joe, how's it going?" I entered the basement bedroom.

"Almost done, I just need to fill in the names you haven't given me yet," Joe replied cheerfully.

I looked at his sheet. Everything was in the wrong place! Like it said that during the Barrett's marriage they had three children: Suzi, Madeleine and Brianna! Luckily he had only written it in pencil, but this was going to take a while.

"Oh no!" I cried. "You did it all wrong! Your bedtime is in half an hour and almost everything is wrong!"

Just kidding, a babysitter isn't supposed to say what they did wrong, rather what they should do instead of that.

"Well, let's fix it up a little, okay? Let's make it so that the separate families are together."

It took awhile, but eventually everything was in order that I had already given him. I wrote:

Taylor Andrew DeWitt

Madeleine Kari DeWitt

Ryan Joshua DeWitt

I wrote the first letter of each name by the line it should go. "You need to be in bed in ten minutes, its 8:20. So, I'll be right back."

Now the girls were playing with American Girl dolls. "Molly! Is that your name? That outfit is rather underdressed for school!" Marnie's Kirsten doll leaned toward Emily's Molly doll.

"A skirt and blouse? So what?" Emily asked.

"Well, your ankles and most of your legs remain uncovered. Dresses obviously would be the most appropriate choice," returned Marnie. "Jen---come in now!"

Jen sounded pretty rehearsed (tch). "I am Addy, I used to be slave!" I laughed, and that sure brought to their attention that I was in the room. But I couldn't help it; her voice was sooo monotone!

"Joe is going to bed now. All ten year olds bed time is nine, your parents said."

Ryan looked up from his game. "Fine, but look, Karen! I got to the electric gym. Mauville, I think it's called!"

I looked around the game screen for a few seconds. "That's great, Ryan. How many gyms are there left after Mauville?"

"I'm not sure, but I just can't wait to get to the Pokemon league!"

"Let's wrap it up though."

"Sure," he shrugged.

Jen seemed t o get the message. "Let's put the dolls away, and set up our sleeping bags!" the girls did as told.

Joe was in his Yu-gi-oh pajamas in his bed. "Good night," I said gently.

"Karen," he said sleepily, "Will you be here when I wake up again?"

"No, your parents will be here," I told him.

"Tell them hi, okay?" Joe asked me before he drifted off to sleep.

"Sure," I replied, stroking his hair and not caring whether he could hear me or not. Honestly, I just love kids. They look adorable when they're sleeping peacefully, especially.

Ryan went to read in his room, and the DeWitt's came home with us unrolling the sleeping bags in the living room with the girls.

"Hi, Marnie," Mrs. DeWitt said warmly. "And Emily. Are you having fun?"

"Yup!" the girls replied happily, then turning to each other. "Jinx, knock on wood!"