Kristy's mom is getting married, and Kristy's a bridesmaid.

The wedding was going to be on the big side. Mom and Watson had each asked a lot of guests, and they had let my brothers and me invite some people, too. Of course, my guests were the Spiers, the Kishis, the McGills, and the Schafers. They were all going to be there.

"Well, anyway, it's in a week," I said again. "And since Mom has so much to do and so little time to do it in, my relatives and some friends of Watson'd decided to give her a hand."

"That's nice," said Stacey.

"It is," I agreed, "except that they all live out of town and they're all arriving by Monday - with their kids. Mom realized that while the adults are working on the wedding this week, there are going to be fourteen children who need looking after."

"Fourteen!" exclaimed Claudia.

"Yup. Seven of my cousins, four kids who belong to Watson's friend, plus Karen, Andrew and David Michael. At first Mom thought the kids would just have to hang around Watson's while the adults are working, but she knows they're going to be in the way. So I sort of made a suggestion."

"What?" asked Dawn suspiciously.

"I suggested that the kids come over to my house every day this week and we'll baby-sit for them. That way the grown-ups will be able to get their work done."

"Us? Take care of fourteen children?" squeaked Mary Anne.

"Mom said that if we babysit for them from nine to five every day, she and Watson will pay us each... one hundred and twenty dollars."

I looked around the room, expecting something to happen. I thought for sure someone would screech or gasp or fall off the bed.

Nothing.

I gave them a few moments to recover. Then I broke the silence by saying, "That's six hundred dollars all together."

Finally I got a reaction.

In a teeny-tiny voice, Claudia said, "One hundred and twenty dollars? With one hundred and twenty dollars, I could buy one hundred and twenty bags of peppermints. That's about a year's supply."

Everyone began to laugh.

Kristy's Big Day
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590438999