The other kids are Madeleine DeWitt (four), Marnie Barrett (two), and Ryan DeWitt (two).

From the expressions on the faces of the two grown-ups, I could see it had already been a long day.

"Hi, Stacey," Mrs. Barrett said with a tired

smile. "I hope you have a lot of energy today." "Hop in," Franklin said, holding open the

passenger door of the station wagon. "No fair!" screamed Buddy.

I have never seen kids so noisy and excited. The new house was only about a half mile away, but I felt as if we were driving to Chicago.

As we pulled up in front of the house, the car doors flew open. Before I could unbuckle my seat belt, Buddy, Lindsey, Taylor, and Madeleine were running across the front lawn.

Next Suzi emerged, dragging a sleeping bag.

"What’s that for?' I asked.

'To test the bedrooms," she replied. "So I know which one's best."

As she marched toward the house, I looked at Mrs. Barrett. She shrugged.

"It's locked!" Buddy shouted.

"Ee! Ee! Ee! Ee!" Marnie was shrieking with excitement in her car seat. I took her out, Franklin unbuckled Ryan, and Mrs. Barrett unlocked the front door.

Clomp-clomp-clomp-clomp! Footsteps echoed against the bare wood floors inside.

The house looked smaller than I'd remembered. It had two stories, a little patio out back, and a tiny front yard.

Marnie and Ryan seemed to find the pebbles on the driveway fascinating. I could hear Buddy making ghost noises in the attic. Lindsey and Taylor were opening and closing all the windows.

"The painters are due in fifteen minutes," Mr. DeWitt said. "The kids have to be out of their way."

"Okay," I replied.

Well, fifteen minutes passed by. Their twenty. Then a half hour.

I ran in and out of the house. I broke up a fight between Buddy and Taylor. I tried to explain to Suzi why she wouldn't be able to sleep in the kitchen. I supervised the two toddlers when they decided to walk up and down the front steps a million times.