How do you define success?

A friend posted that question on Facebook the other day and I couldn't think of an answer until yesterday: For me, success is having no screaming in my house.

I did not grow up in a house of yellers, but now my family, me included, lets out their frustration (or whatever emotion they happen to be feeling) by yelling. I have to remind myself every morning to not yell up the stairs at my kids when they're taking too long to get ready and to not yell when my son yet again drags his feet about doing his homework. Sometimes I think it would be easier to run a daily marathon. 

Yesterday, I didn't yell in the morning, and I didn't even feel the urge. Must have had good dreams the night before. Later in the day was a different story: I made it through homework time, dinnner time, and work out time at the Y afterwards, but when it came time for my son to go over his study guide for a science test and he kept singing (so cute at another time!), I had to yell. I wasn't too bad in that my head didn't spin, but I still felt awful for being out of control even a bit. 

Today is good so far. Yes, it's only 8:49 as I write this, but I've already been challenged: My little guy was crazy over his hair not going the right way. He was saying "God dangit,!" and I managed to not return his anger. I tried to help by wetting his hair down with a wash cloth; when he still wasn't satisfied I asked Daddy to play stylist. By the time he went upstairs, my son had worked it out himself. He still wasn't happy, though, but I just backed off as he ate breakfast and grunted goodbye when the bus arrived.

Wish me luck with the rest of the day -- I want to earn my "A" no matter what it takes -- tongue biting, deep breathing, that nice bottle of red sitting on the kitchen counter...