hinei ma tov uma na'im

I had such pleasant learning with Chana yesterday and today.  She's been so cheerful, making jokes, smiling a lot.  It's amazing how much in homeschooling I sometimes perceive it's about the learning or even about the parent-child relationship, when it's just a phase that the child is going through.

Today, randomly, in the middle of Chumash, Chana asked me if a person davens for something halfheartedly, is it answered.  (Bear in mind, she's 13, so we don't really speak unless I call her over to do work.  So when we sit down to do work, other things often come up, which I'm delighted about.)  I have not, sadly, made the time to do the tefila chabura that I had wanted to do this summer.  (I've chosen learning with my aunt, shiur prep, and date night as priorities.)  So when this question came up, I was excited.  I said if you made an appointment to speak to someone in charge, and then you halfheartedly asked, would it likely be granted?
Then I asked her if she could think of some benefits to asking for something, even if it is halfhearted, and even if there is a strong possibility it won't be answered.  So we are having a conversation about what tefila does for the beseecher.

I've also been asking Chana to write a couple of Ivrit sentences every night when I'm not there.  I told her to use a dictionary (online of course!).  And I check them in the morning.  So far they've been understandable and legible!