Sirens Over Jerusalem

Today the sirens sounded over Jerusalem for the second time. It was at 14:20 and I was at home. I rushed down to our recently cleared bomb shelter and waited with a few of the neighbours who also happened to be at home. Reader, we heard the boom. However, we waited the full 10 minutes just in case there were more.

There was an email from the kindergarten: Just to let you know that we are all safe and got to the shelter in good time. Luckily they, along with all schools in Jerusalem, had bomb shelter drill on Sunday and so they knew what to do.

I was glad they had talked about it at the Kindergarten with the children. I wasn't happy with my explanation to DD that it was a game. I kept thinking of that tragic film Life Is Beautiful - God forbid! The talk went right over her head. She has no idea what a war or a rocket is. I don't think she even knows what a soldier is. All she understands is that when there's a big noise everyone has to go to the shelter quickly.

News reports announced that the rocket hit open ground but not that far away from us. It actually hit closest to two Arab villages just outside Jerusalem. Just shows, you gotta be very careful with lethal missiles. Don't try this at home.

This evening I showed DD this picture from Ofakim in the south of Israel. It has been going round on facebook. I told her that if we are ever outside and not near a shelter when the sirens go off, this is what we have to do.

Hoping and praying we never need to.

Meanwhile I'm still sleeping in DD's bed with her, with my big cardigan on over my pjs for a bit of modesty if we have to leave the privacy of our own home, and with thick socks for DD in my pocket as she won't wear socks in bed. I expect this will be the arrangement for the duration.