The WILDE Family

Wilde= WILD right? 

 I love my last name!  We get so many comments about being a Wilde family.  Church is the most common place for people to try and make a funny with our last name (probably because we rarely go anywhere else in public with all eight of us, that's just a disaster waiting to happen).   Usually the comments are something as simple as "How's that Wilde family?" and then they chuckle.  We give a courtesy laugh back and mention how we are glad we have a name we can live up to.  What else would you expect from a family of six kids?  Although, we fit the name even when we only had three kids (three energized little boys I must add).  I'm just glad my last name isn't Tranquil or Serene- we'd be in trouble with either of those!  When someone is talking in front of a group and they say something in reference to the Wilde family, they always have to stop and make sure everyone knows that they don't really mean the "wild" family.  I have to laugh because it usually catches me off guard. I rarely think about how people would take it that way.  I'm not easily offended so most comments just go in one ear and out the other- and to be truthful I'm the kind of person that doesn't really get the Pun intended.  But once in awhile there will be a comment that sticks with me.  A long time ago when we were the family of just Wilde boys I had a friend once tell me she didn't know how I made it through sacrament meetings with them.  She was trying to be nice and tell me how I had Sooo much patience because I was able to handle my boys that were all over the place and disruptive (ok, she didn't say it just like that, but that's how I took it... )   I told her if she only knew--- if she could see my face straight on instead of watching me from the side or from behind me.  If she could only see my face, she would see my jaw clenching, my blood vessels popping on my forehead from my blood boiling, and my mean mommy "Stop It Face."  It's probably a good thing only the bishopric was sitting straight on and could see my face- and to our advantage we sat far enough in the back that hopefully they couldn't see these distinctions.  Sacrament (with kids) never has been and continues to prove not to be a place of serenity, or tranquility for my family.  BUT I value it enough that it is worth it to me to take my kids every Sunday and hope we survive.  When we find our seats in the chapel I tell all those around us I'm sorry ahead of time for the Wilde circus they might see.    In the past, for the most part we have been back row sitters.  1-because we are usually late and 2- because the fewer people behind us the fewer witnesses to our chaos.  We have recently decided that we feel it's important to move our kids closer to the podium in hopes that some of the spiritual words of wisdom spoke from it will enter into our little people's ears. Our boys are getting old enough that we want them to listen, feel of the spirit, and learn from the speakers. It's kind of like the speaker is spewing out darts of spiritual knowledge and the closer we sit, the better the chance is of having them hit us.  Hopefully, some of those darts will make some dents-or impressions upon my kids throughout the next few years. I figure the payoff of sitting closer to the podium is greater than the worry of what others' opinions might be of us when they see how truly Wilde we really are. 
Two weeks ago, a sweet lady in my ward that I look up to wrote me a message on Facebook.  It obviously made my day when she wrote, "I just wanted to tell you what you already know and that others of us see and hear. You have a really well behaved and awesome family. I love to watch how you and Josh react with them and show them your love. Good job!!"  This last week as we sat four pews from the front of the chapel, I thought we were doomed.  She would most certainly see that she had a misconception of us.  Josh was out in the hall for the most part with Kennadi, while I wrestled the other five kids.  Kaden is usually the only one I don't have to worry about.  Kam and Kale were for a time being pretty good while playing a dot game. I just had to work on keeping Kate from sharing her Pterodactyl scream with the whole congregation and keep Kinnli content.  Before I knew it Kale and Kam started arguing and elbowing each other about cheating and so I took the notebook away from them.  Kale just couldn't control his anger anymore and stabbed Kam right in the heart with his purple crayon... leaving a little purple dot on his shirt.  I was lucky to stop any more violence from erupting, but I quickly looked around to see if my dear sister friend was sitting near and happened to see my naughty children.  Close call- I didn't see her, but I'm sure the people in back of us saw.  I guess all in all- I have come to the terms that I can handle my kids living up to their names right now. But in the next four years when all of  my boys become teenagers, I'm going to change the pronunciation of my last name to have a short I and a long E.  Then the WILDE  children won't feel compelled to live up to their last name.