If the house weren't as big as it is, I don't know what we'd do, because our family just seems to keep growing. First of all, my mom and Watson decided they wanted to bring a baby into our lives, so they adopted a little Vietnamese girl named Emily Michelle. She's two and a half, and incredibly cute. Then, my grandmother Nannie came to live with us, in order to help out with Emily.

We also have a puppy named Shannon, an ancient cat named Boo-Boo, and assorted goldfish. It's a full house, believe me. And you know what? I love it! I like how the house is always full of life, and how we all seem to get along without even trying very hard. it’s kind of awesome, really. I also like having lots of little kids around, since taking care of kids is one of my favorite things to do. I love to babysit. In fact, I started a club that's all about babysitting. it’s called the Baby-sitters Club (what else could you call it?) and I'm the president. I'll tell you more about the BSC later on. "Almost there!" sang out Charlie. "Great," said Bart. "Are you guys ready to play ball?" he asked the kids.

"Yes!" everybody shouted.

"Okay," said Bart. "Kristy and I have worked out the line-up for today. I want you to listen up while she announces it."

I smiled at Bart. It was thoughtful of him to let me read the line-up. And it was nice of him to get the kids' attention for me. Not that I needed his help. I have never had trouble with public speaking. In fact, I'm known for my big mouth and sometimes bossy attitude. I don't love being thought of as bossy, so I try to tone it down, but the good side of it is that I do know how to motivate people so that things get done. Luckily, Bart's the kind of guy who isn't intimidated by a person like me. In fact, he thinks I'm special. And I think he's pretty special himself. Uh-oh, am I getting mushy here? I didn't mean to.