Mother's Day is coming up, and the Baby-sitters have the same problem they do every year: What do they get their mothers?

I glanced at Sam and Charlie again. They shrugged.

Suddenly Sam said, "Hey, Mom, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"No," Mom replied. "I'm not.... But how would you kids feel about another brother or sister?"

"Another brother or sister?" David Michael repeated dubiously.

"A baby?" squeaked Andrew and Karen.

"Terrific!" I added honestly. I love babies.

Sam and Charlie nodded.

No one seemed to know what to say then, but it didn't matter because Boo-Boo came into the dining room carrying a mole he'd caught. The poor mole was still alive, so we had to get it away from Boo-Boo and then put it back outside where it belonged.

That was the end of dinner.

* * *

Later that night, I lay in bed, thinking.

I thought of Mom wanting to have another baby. Even though she's kind of old for that, it made sense. I mean, she's married to Watson now, so I guessed that she and Watson wanted a baby of their own. Boy. Mom would have five kids and two step kids then.

She would need an extra special Mother's Day present. What on earth could I give her? I slid over in bed so I could see the moon out my window.

The moon was pretty, but it was no help.

Jewelry? Nah. Mom likes to choose her own. Stockings? Boring. Candy or flowers? Let Watson do that. Something for her desk at the office? Maybe. Clothes? If I could afford anything.

I had a feeling I was missing the point, though. I wanted to say thank you to Mom for being such a wonderful mother. (She really is.) So I needed to give her something special, something that would tell her, "You're the best mom. Thanks." But what would say that?

I thought and thought. And then it came to me. It was another one of my ideas. Carrying it off might take some work, but my friends and I could do it.

I couldn't wait until the next meeting of the Baby-sitters Club.

Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 059043506X