I've got a problem

I know, I know, I have many problems but this is the one I want to focus on tonight. Ryan left on Sunday for a week, it's been one day and I'm already hating the single parent gig. All right, I'll be honest because Ryan being gone really has nothing to do with my problem. My problem is, I make my kids enter the PTA Reflections contest because I want them to look good. There, I said it! Usually I put Ryan in charge of this because he is the artistic one but he conveniently left for Mesquite (whoohoo) without doing anything. The projects are due Friday and so tonight I told the girls that we would start working on them. The theme this year is "Wow" which in my opinion is a freakin hard theme. How do you write a story, draw a picture, take a photo etc with "Wow" as a theme? We brainstormed and made a web but we are having a hard time with the Literature section. Grace wanted to write about Ryan's job and while Grace is very intelligent she is also proportionally lazy. This is something that frustrates me to no end and I know it's because she is just like me. She kept coming to me with something like this, "My dad is a sergeant. He works in Salt Lake. He comes home at 5 pm. He has a cool office. He has a cool car. I like to ride in it. What's cool about my dad is he's a sergeant and that's awesome!" Now, a good mom would say, "That's great Grace! You are so right, Dad's office is cool with it's chairs and desk and fluorescent lights." Instead I say, "Really Grace? That's the best you can do? That's your best work? I don't get what is "wow" about this story?" Then she starts to cry. You'd think I'd be a little more sensitive with the child who was crying at school today because, "She misses Daddy. He won't be able to kiss me goodnight." I could blame it on after-vacation-depression or being sick or being a single parent or having to clean the house because a realtor wanted to look at it, but honestly there is no excuse. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, we came up with another idea for a story and all was well. Luckily Grace is quick to forgive. After they went to bed I thought about the night and confessed to myself that I want them to do this because I like the feeling I get when they win or place in the contest. I know that they feel good about it also but I wonder if my feelings outweigh theirs? I think I'm going to have to relax a bit if I want to make it through their school careers without us hating each other. Am I the only parent who makes their children do things because it is ultimately what they want? Please tell me I'm not.