Patience...I'm told it's a virture

As some of you may or may not know I do not have a lot of patience.  I can do a good job of faking it for awhile, but I would say on a whole patience is something I really, really have to work at.  I'm also starting to suspect that my two young boys are rapidly figuring out I don't have a lot of patience and are continually finding new ways to test them.  I think by the time they're 10 they will have out grown this...right?!?!  I know, I know...your kids will always test your patience. 
Take this morning for instance.  The boys know there is not video games before school, and if mom had her way there wouldn't be video games period!  But that's a different post.  Usually I get the boys up, then as I get dressed for the morning so do they, and then I usually have to take Alex's clothes off and put them on the right way, but at least he's trying.  So this morning I come out of the bedroom and I hear a funny noise...sounds like a video game.  Sure enough...for the second morning in a row one of my son's is sitting in his underwear playing a video game instead of being dressed and ready to go.  I didn't handle it well yesterday, and I surely didn't handle it well this morning.  As I stated above I don't have patience for stuff like that.  They both know the rule, but they just have to test the boundaries.  I could spend a day or two writing about how my patience get's tested, but I bet anyone reading this can relate to people/kids testing their patience at some point or another. 
As I was sitting in the bus this morning I got to wondering if I can increase my patience level.  I'm 36, and I'm fairly stuck in my ways, but there has to be some trick to getting more patience right?  Maybe I count to 10 before I dole out any discipline.  Maybe I remember all of the times I've tried my parent's patience.  Maybe I can pray for God to help me in this area.  I suppose all of those things will help, but I'm afraid this may always be a character flaw.
Every time I consider my lack of patience and how frustrating it can be to watch a 7 year old eat with his fingers and drop food on the floor for the millionth time I wonder how God does it.  How many times have I, and has all of humanity, caused God to lose his patience?  I think Noah and the flood might have been the closet God has come to just throwing God's hands in the air and saying enough!  Then, think about all of the stuff that's happened since then.  How much war and bloodshed and suffering.  I think about the times when I've made the same mistake for the millionth time or I have failed to learn a lesson.  How lucky are we that God doesn't lost God's patience with us?  If anyone every had just cause to I'd imagine God reached that point a long time ago.  Thank God that the Spirit is infinitely patient and that no matter how many times we've messed up we can repent and be forgiven.  In many ways God is like a parent, except God is the perfect parent.  Never losing patience, never giving up on us, and God will never stop loving us.  I think I need to realize that more, and not take for granted how good God is.  Maybe if I can be more mindful of how patient God is with me I can be more patient when mud is tracked through the house again for the 100th time!  Remember, God is great, and God loves you!  No take a deep breath...in out...in out...