Return on investment

This week was one of those in which I wonder if I will ever see a return on my investment of blood, sweat and tears. When I feel like all I've done is correct kids, instruct kids and remind kids of the same thing over.and.over.and.over. When you feel like you're going to scream if when you ask if they've brushed their teeth and the answer is NO, even though you remind them every.single.day. When you've sent a child upstairs to change so you can leave in 20 minutes and then 1 minute before it's time go, they act surprised when you ask them "why aren't you changed?" When you've spent the whole dinner saying, "chew with your mouth closed, sit on your bottom, don't use your fingers, eat your food, stop interrupting your sister, stop slurping" I have no desire to ever hold a paying job but sometimes I think it might be nice to have a job where I didn't have to wait 20 years to know if I was good at it or not. Or if I was even qualified. Am I too hard on them? Not hard enough? Am I focusing on the right things? But still letting them be who they're meant to be?  How do I even have time to do all these things when I'm spending a ridiculous amount of time making sure people BRUSH TEETH!!

On a lighter note:
Harper brought home some worksheets that she had colored, they were obviously Martin Luther King. She's all excited and says, "Mommy, I know EVERYTHING about this guy" I said, "fantastic, what's his name?" She replies, "I don't remember." She did remember all about different water fountains for "colored" and "whites" though.

Lacy is getting ready to do her state project for school, she picked Kentucky Yay! I asked her what Rosemary, her best friend got.
"She got South America"
Me, "Um, Lacy that's not a state"
Lacy, "Yep, she got South America"
Me, "You mean South Dakota?"
Lacy, "Nope"
Lily, "South Carolina?"
Lacy, "Oh yeah, that's it."

Harper in the car is the best conversationalist around, you just can't have a better more enthusiastic person in the car with you.
"Mommy, did you know cars are made up mostly of water?"
Me, "Ummm...no. are you sure it's cars?"
Harper, "yep, you wouldn't think they had that much water in them, did you?"
Me, "No, I didn't"
Lacy, "Harper, where did you learn that?"
Harper, "In gym, we watched a video about it."
Me, "Do you mean your body is made up mostly of water?"
Harper, "Yeah, but cars too."