Stacey McGill, Super Sitter (RS#94)

Original Publication Date: 1996

Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn

Synopsis:

A new client, Mrs. Cheplin, calls the BSC looking for someone to come every day after school to watch her two children and do some housework until she returns home (really, she wants more of a nanny than a sitter). Eager to earn money to take her boyfriend to a Broadway play and to prove she's serious at the BSC, Stacey jumps at the opportunity. However, it turns out that the housework is very time-consuming and increasingly difficult to complete in Stacey's allotted time. Furthermore, Stacey is only hired on a probationary basis, and Mrs. Cheplin seems determined to catch Stacey failing. AND Stacey's finding it difficult to keep up with her other commitments. After three week of running herself ragged, Stacey wises up and calls it quits. Fortunately, she's earned enough for the Broadway play.

Meanwhile, Valentine's Day is coming up. Logan wants to buy Mary Anne a ring (not diamond!) and has Kristy help him pick it out, to make sure Mary Anne will like it. Some of the kids see Kristy with Logan and think that Logan's cheating on Mary Anne and write mean little notes for them, but it gets sorted out and the kids atone.

Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: none mentioned

Stacey wants to live in New York City when she grows up.

During softball season, Kristy sometimes gets "hate mail" from the Bashers if the Krushers win a lot of games.

Their Families:

Nothing new.

The Club (and clients):

I have to say, I really like how Kristy dealt with the Cheplin issue. When Stacey decided to quit, Kristy came up with the plan that until Mrs. Cheplin found a permanant replacement, the BSC would send someone over every day but only to watch the kids, not clean the house. I guess she is a good person to be the BSC president!

SMS: nothing new.

PSA Time:
Your sitting charges (or whoever) won't tell you who they just called? There's a handy little function on the phone called "redial."

Misc:

If you want a nanny, trying advertising at a local college rather than seeking out middle school kids. I got a nanny job through my college and I still keep in touch with the kids, now 10 and almost 9, even though I haven't sat for the family since 2007. Which reminds me, I need to pick up a gift card for the girl's birthday in September.

Another Valentine's Day.

The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 8

Halloweens in 8th grade: 5 (plus one in seventh)

Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 2

Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate, not just reference): Christmas-2, Hanukkah-1, Kwanzaa-1

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 3

Summers after 8th grade: 8

BSC Fights: 10

SMS Staff and Faculty: 55

Students (other than the BSC): 179; 114 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 6 7th graders, 43 6th graders, 15 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.

Clients: 33 families

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 117

Crushes:
Stacey-11
Claudia-9
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1
Abby-0