Small successes

The daily work of a mother is a thousand tiny tasks. So often, the little failures are the things that loom large thanks to the tantrums and tears that accompany them. I berate myself for not stopping the fit before it started, for being too hard on my toddler -- or for being too soft, for not changing that diaper before it was a blow out, for not playing enough or for not reading one last book.

But just like those puny problems, small successes -- when I remember to notice them -- can have a major effect on my attitude and on the entire mood of the family. Tonight, I noticed.

• The husband and I fixed dinner in peace because I remembered to feed The Lad early and because we're encouraging The Boy's independence by letting him play outside alone.
• The Boy ate an entire serving of asparagus because I called them swords and let him eat them with his hands.
• We practiced colors and counting with a handful of M&Ms. Bribed with chocolate, The Boy knows his colors perfectly.
• A game of flashlight tag in the backyard, which devolved into races while holding flashlights, distracted The Boy from wanting to watch cartoons.
• But allowing him to watch cartoons later saved my voice, which is shot from yet another cold and couldn't take reading half a dozen books.

Tiny things, but they added up to a truly pleasant evening. I felt like a really competent momma. (And the husband is a pretty competent daddyman: His bouncing on the exercise ball is staving off Lad cries as I type.)

What little triumphs have you had lately?