Rocket Day

On Tuesday, schools were closed in Rehovot, due to nearby rockets. We could hear the reports, but thank G-d we didn't have any sirens. (Edit: actually, we got a rocket siren late Wednesday night, but it was intercepted without a problem.)

The kids weren't upset: we've discussed rockets with BSM frequently and calmly enough that he knows it's really not a big deal, and FF listened to our review of rocket protocol with BSM without really understanding, but he now knows that sirens tell us to do things and go places, and that's that.

Like all parents, however, Husbinator and I were rather flummoxed by the unexpected vacation day, not having made plans beforehand and not being able to just let the kids run around in the park all day. Between art projects, cookie baking, and Sabba and Savta, things worked out. Unfortunately, I couldn't take the kids for flu shots as long as they were missing school anyway, since our local clinics are out of the vaccine. Boo.

Rocket day also included very busy WhatsApp groups, very little of which was useful information. The highlights were a tip about a park next to a communal bomb shelter (on my radar for next time!), and this little gem of Israeli humor:

"If there's already no school, and it's a Tuesday, maybe we should just have elections?"

I also clarified that while people are playing fast and loose with the word "war" neither side actually formally declared war, which is an important distinction. Granted, it's a little silly what with nearly 1000 rockets fired from Gaza over 2 days, and significant aerial and artillery response by Israel, but it's still true. It does make for an interesting situation in which a cease-fire is negotiated for a non-war, but that's how it is!

Figuring it Out

I believe it was Husbinator who first referred to our kids as unreliable narrators. It's not that they lie; it's just not a good idea to take what they say at face value, certainly not before investigating further.

Take a conversation I had with FF the other night. He was doing something mildly unsafe, and I told him to be careful not to fall. He told me that someone fell, and it seemed to me that he was discussing something that happened at school. I asked if that child got hurt. He clarified that he himself fell down. I asked if he himself got hurt. FF said yes. I asked who had kissed him. FF said no one. This surprised me, since his teachers seem to be warm, caring and attentive. I asked if he had cried. FF said yes. I asked him to clarify that he had really fallen and gotten hurt and cried and no one kissed him. FF said that was right: he learned we don't climb on friends.

Ah. That makes more sense.