7 Days of Holiday Vacation in a Warzone with Kids - Part 2

If you’re just starting here, go back and read Part 1.

03/04/2026 3:04 AM — The day started with the sound of sirens, like most days at this hour. We woke the kids and took them to the shelter. When it was over, we went back to sleep. I woke up again at 7:00 AM. Since then, I’ve been sitting in front of the screen thinking: what should I write? It’s only the second day, and it already feels like an eternity.

My son wanted to sleep over at a friend’s house, but it didn’t work out because the friend's grandmother was staying with them. He was so disappointed. Although he doesn’t say anything, I know he misses school and his friends. It has been a long time since either of them was in a classroom.

Suddenly, I started wondering—maybe we should buy a PlayStation 5? I know it sounds like I’m just bored, but we aren’t going anywhere; we’re stuck at home most of the time. Why not pass the time with video games? I started comparing the PS5 Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition to the PlayStation 5 Pro with the 2TB SSD. It’s always a question of what’s best for us. While the Pro has the best graphics, the standard Digital Edition is cheaper for just playing games like Minecraft or FIFA. Maybe I should just get an Xbox with Game Pass.

06/04/2026 — Two days later

I didn’t write for two days because we bought a Sony. Yes, I know I’m weak and I don’t have any willpower right now, but here is how it happened.

We all went out to eat breakfast together. It was a very gray day - not just cloudy, but dusty too. I thought to myself that since we aren't going out much these days anyway, we needed something to pass the time and make us happy. By "we," I mean all of us: me, my wife, my son, and my daughter. We went to Kravitz and bought it. I also added a FIFA game (it was half-price), another controller, and a charging dock. It felt less cloudy after we walked out of that store. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

The day after, we didn't leave the house. The kids were thrilled. My son downloaded Fortnite and Roblox, and my daughter played the "Astro" robot game that comes with the console. I bought Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for myself so I’d have something to play, too. I found a website that sells gift cards and registered an American account, since the prices on the Israeli shop are so expensive. Then I added Astro Bot, because my daughter loved the demo. We played and played and played.

The iPhone Life: As if that wasn't enough, my daughter's phone screen started detaching from the frame. She has wanted an iPhone for a long time, but I wasn't thrilled about the idea. She’s only 12, and I don't think she needs a device like that - it’s just too much.

But then again, maybe it’s because of our weird sleeping hours during the war; we just don't have any willpower left. So, first we said no, and then we said yes. I know it’s probably not great parenting, either. My biggest concern was that I don't have an iPhone myself, so I can’t manage her device remotely through Family Link like I do on Android. I know Apple has its own Screen Time features, but it’s just not the same for me. Anyway, she bought a new iPhone 15, paying for most of it with her own savings.

I know we might sound spoiled. People in other parts of the world don't have food, water, or even electricity during wartime, yet here we are buying PlayStations and iPhones, and the malls are full of people shopping. Regardless, this is our life right now.

But that wasn’t even the end of our shopping spree. It was my nephew's birthday, so we went looking for a present. We bought him a remote-controlled car and a flying drone- though the drone didn't work very well and was incredibly hard to track down. We had to check three different shops before we finally found one. But it was all worth it when we saw how happy he was. Just seeing his face made the search feel like a success.

We all got home from the birthday around 20:00 or 21:00. I was exhausted, like I am every day, and went straight to bed. I woke up at 23:30 and stayed awake until the first siren at 3:20 AM. Then I tried to go back to sleep, only to be woken up by another alarm at 6:30 AM. That was all the sleep I got. That’s why I’m always tired - and why I barely have any willpower left.

I’m not sure if I can keep writing every day. My mind isn't clear enough, and I'm completely exhausted from this "holiday vacation." I honestly don't know how they expect us to just head back to work after all of this. We definitely need a vacation to recover from our vacation.