What defines a parent?

Ok I have thought about this for a lot over the last 24 hours. My littlest was nasty ill last night. Like huge spewage and copious amounts of liquid poo. Any I was thinking am I a good parent? I mean I can be short tempered with both my kids and sometimes I can simply be no fun at all for them. I have a tendancy to hide behind a book sometimes or stay at work really really late and only see them for like an hour before they go to bed. However, I do think I am still a good parent.

I was listening to my youngest cry last night and it was kind of that whine cry they give you to see if you'll come rescue them when they don't want to go to sleep. Then he hit the "I'm hurt and I am in pain" cry and it was on. Wifey was sleeping and she had the boys all day and was up early with him so I let her sleep. I head out to the little man's bedroom and he's standing in the crib so I go to pick him up and he drapes himself over me, which is so not his MO. It took all of 30 seconds before he covered my shoulder and back in his evening bottle of milk. it looked like feta cheese. So I think well I'm covered in puke and well I'm not really upset. Normally you get puked on by some one you get upset. I think a good parent doesn't mind getting puked on so much sure it's gross and all and you are still thinking eeeewww but you never show that. So here I am stinking of puke and holding a little guy that is quite upset with what transpired he's covered in puke and I am just consoling him trying to get him to settle down.

Well in any event I things like that are what define a good parent. How you deal with adversity like vomit and liquid poo and what ever else the little buggers can do. I know I don't deal well with my own bodily fluids and I certainly could never be a doctor but for some reason when it has to do with my kids it doesn't seem that bad...