We haven’t done to many outings with the babies yet. When you take two naps a day, and most things are an hour away, it tends to cramp your style. But we are now in the land of one nap a day, so the six of us went to the Giraffe Center in Nairobi.

Things are more relaxed in Africa. There was hardly anything separating the giraffes from us. The giraffes would eat out of your hand. They would even eat out of your MOUTH, if you were foolish enough to let them.

I’m sure that many of you are asking the question `What was it like to kiss a giraffe, Steve.’ All I can tell you is that giraffes have NO future in a kissing booth. But the thrill was actually being able to gross out my older children, who did NOT relish the tables being reversed.

Both babies are at a wonderful stage where they will sit and sing. Ben really only has one word, so his songs tend to be `Da Da Da Da’ which of course I enjoy. Katie is so verbal that Nancy believes that when she actually begins talking, the rest of us will never get another chance. But on the way home, one would fall asleep and the other would sing. One of the fun things about having older and younger kids is that the older ones will ask ` Did I do that?’ and you remember sweet things you hadn’t thought about in years.

We had a dorm night on Friday. We went down to the lower field and played `Capture the Flag’ built a huge bonfire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. You really haven’t played `capture the flag’ until you’ve played in Africa; pitch black adds a different dimension. After two games in the dark, we ate and then the guys would take branches heated in the fire and run down the field with them. Some of them had battles and it had a `Star Wars’ light saber look to it.

As I watched the 16 8th grade boys just have such a time with the fire, I reflected how wonderful it was and that perhaps the greatest gift Africa is to my older children is that it has allowed them to remain children a little bit longer than they might be able to in the United States. Without TV and Internet, there is not quite the push here to have a girl friend or be cool like in the US.

As the evening ended, one of the guys asked if we could go annoy the girl’s dorm. The rest of the guys said no, and I thought: it won’t be long before all that starts, but how nice to be in junior high and still be a kid.

As I pondered those warm thoughts, one guy yelled `We’ve got to put out the fire!” Another yelled `Drink all the water you can!’ And as I realized what they intended to do, all my warm thoughts were extinguished, if you know what I mean.

Childhood is great, but there is something to be said for growing up, too.

Your pal,

Steve Peifer

PS. They expected riots in Nairobi on Monday during nominations of one of the major parties, but a huge group left that party and so it was a peaceful day. Does this mean that the general election will be tumultuous? No one knows, but we are grateful for the peaceful day we had.

Some pictures need no explaination!