Broken Cheerios Need Not Apply: The Twins Turn One

July 7, 2002 by Steve Peifer

Ben and Katie turned one on Sunday. It was a festive day, with them eating their first piece of cake (Katie put her finger in the frosting and licked them; Ben ate his cake and then started looking at Katie’s with heightened interest.)
Katie is pulling up but not quite walking; Ben is crawling but not as ambitiously curious as Katie is. He is content to thoroughly examine one toy for a long time; she needs to see everything.
Perhaps the biggest...

It is very nice to eat sitting down

July 1, 2002 by Steve Peifer

They asked the staff to provide prizes for the talent show. Most people made cookies, or something like that. Not me; I wanted something BIG; significant even.
Without beating a joke straight into the ground, what I offered seniors in high school was a CD of Neil Diamond’s Greatest Hits.
This being RVA, the kids cheered mightily when it was announced, although several kids asked me if it was a first place prize or a LAST place prize. They had a special...

That man has a bag of frozen peas on his shoulder

June 18, 2002 by Steve Peifer

We’ve got this genius guy here, someone who has managed to hook a microwave system to the only satellite serving Kenya telecom to improve our phone system. He is an accountant, programmer, engineer, etc.
He hurt his shoulder recently, and has had a rather painful recovery and therapy. I saw him walking the hall of the business office, and he had a bag of frozen peas on his shoulder. As you know by know, I am quite quick on the up...

Me and Bill: Shakespeare in Africa

May 28, 2002 by Steve Peifer

The twins set our morning ritual. Lately, I’ve been lucky enough to slip away around 6 and exercise. I get back around 6:30, and I change them while Nancy prepares their breakfast. After we feed them, we get a blanket out and put them on the floor to play. Usually, we are all rushing about trying to get ready for the day, but on Saturdays, I like to play on the floor with them.
On a recent Saturday, I was playing...

It’s hard to be a Nazi in a Chihuahua t-shirt

May 20, 2002 by Steve Peifer

Sometimes you just don’t know what to say, and it’s best not to say anything at all. Matthew was in a play in his class, and they were acting out a book they had read. When I asked him how his part went, he told me with great exasperation in his voice `It’s really hard to be a Nazi wearing a Chihuahua t-shirt.’
We are in a pretty regular water crisis here. Part of that is from the deforestation of Kenya;...

Sacrificing Myself for Others: Nobility in Action

May 4, 2002 by Steve Peifer

For some reason I can’t quite fathom, Nancy sometimes feels the need to spend time with other woman. The sixteen dorm boys are all remarkably sensitive and JT, Matthew and Ben reflect the compassion of the modern male. By now, you know how sensitive I am. And yet, Nancy will tell Katie almost everyday `Grow faster, little one. Momma needs another girl around here.’
Some of the ladies will have a birthday luncheon for each other, and it was scheduled to...

White Sand and Black Bottoms

April 25, 2002 by Steve Peifer

This was new, taking a vacation with infants. We were all tired from the term and the excitement of adopting the twins, so staying for a week on the coast sounded wonderful.
Going to the coast involves an eight hour drive over some of the worst roads you can imagine, and for some reason, people who would normally gladly give us a ride were hesitant about driving with nine month old babies in the car.(One guy asked: `you taking BOTH of...

A Chance for Change

April 21, 2002 by Steve Peifer

Here are the facts:

The drop out rate in most Kenyan schools is about 65-70%.
Most Kenyan children eat one meal a day.
When a free lunch is provided, the drop out rate is reduced dramatically.

Here are some thoughts:

Most Kenyan children walk several miles to a classroom and sit all day on a bench without a back to it.
It would seem like one might be able to concentrate if you had some food in your stomach.
Without an education, there is little opportunity one...

Stories from the Field

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