Official Israeli Citizens

I started today taking care of stuff that needed to be done here in Yad Binyamin. There is a social worker in the Regional Council who is in charge of olim (new immigrants), and that was incredibly helpful. She actually said that we are the best organized of the olim she has seen. Yikes! I can't imagine how they manage. She took me to the offices I needed, so the kids are now all registered for school and we are registered as residents to pay the necessary taxes. Evidently, a big phrase here is "hora'at keva", which means that many necessary expenses (i.e. tuition and property taxes) are taken directly out of your bank account. Smart on their part.
After I did that stuff, we left to go to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Nefesh B'Nefesh, the incredible group with which we came, was conducting a fair of various service providers, and would also be handing out our teudot zehut (ID cards), which are the Israeli equivalent of Social Security numbers - you can't do anything official without them.
So, we left our house a little after 12 to walk to the bus stop right outside our community. We then took the 40 minute bus ride to Yerushlayim, and switched at the central bus station to go to the Nefesh B'Nefesh offices. We got there at about 2:30. The kids were great. After we got all our stuff, we walked around a bit and popped into a coffee shop for some "lupper". The boys wanted hot chocolate, so I said they should order in Hebrew. They were very proud of themselves. We had arranged to rent a car for the next two weeks until we can get our act together enough to buy a car. However, since this is peak car rental season, we were only able to get a small 5-seater. Also, it was not 5:00, and the rental place closed at 6, and we wanted to go to the Kotel (Western Wall) before leaving town. So, I took Leah and Petachya to the Kotel on the #2 bus (which I think stopped at every bus stop in Yerushlayim on the way), and R took the older boys in a taxi to the car rental place in the King David Hotel. Unfortunately, he first went to the Kings Hotel, so they did some fast running and all turned out well. Meanwhile, Leah, Petachya and I were thinking up as many tefillot (prayers) as possible in front of (almost) the holiest place on earth. Leah's high point, though, was seeing a bride and groom taking photos at the Kotel.
So, then it was time to go home. We decided to split up this way: I would take Petachya back on the but to the Central Bus Station and then home, since we didn't have his car seat with us to put in the rental car. On the way to the bus stop, we met people we knew, so I got a little flustered and got back on the #2 bus. As I handed my bus card to the driver for a stamp, I asked him if the bus goes to the Central Bus Station. He stamped my card, and then said: "the number 1 does, but I go real close - just a five minute walk)." So, Petachya and I enjoyed another detailed tour through Chassidic areas of Jerusalem before we ran off the bus (someone told me it was my stop as the doors were opening). We got up to the ticket counter, and I asked for the bus to Yad Binyamin. This was a little after 8. She said I had to ask "Information", the booth next to her. I asked the "information" woman to write down the number and time of the next bus to Yad Binyamin, and she wrote "437 - gate 10 - 21:00." I was naturally disappointed that we would have to wait so long for the bus, so I asked if that was it. "No - there is also one at 9:30."
Then, I went back to the ticket booth to buy a ticket. "You have to pay the driver the 17 shekels directly for Yad Binyamin" (it's a stop on the way to the "real" destination of the bus). I only have a large bill, and I want to get Petachya a snack for the way, so I asked if she had change. She proceeded to give me a receipt for 17 shekels and change. Go figure. R was thoughtful enough to pick us up at the bus stop, thus saving us a 15 minute walk home.
All in all, a good day.
Tomorrow we go to release our stuff from customs.