Because sometimes the cereal box ends up in the fridge… and “hello” gets a W
I consider myself a pretty good multitasker. Like many parents, I’ve developed this uncanny ability to juggle work deadlines, homeschool lessons, meals, appointments, and sibling squabbles—sometimes all before lunch.
But every once in a while, the universe throws in a little “Are you sure you’re okay?” moment just to humble me.
Like accidentally putting the box of cereal in the refrigerator. Or tossing dry goods into the freezer. (Frozen spaghetti noodles, anyone?) It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I can’t help but laugh—because 99% of the time, I really am managing the chaos well. (I might be biased.) That 1% though? That’s the stuff of comedy gold. It’s like my brain is saying, “Hey, maybe sit down for a sec?”
Today was that kind of day. I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning, which meant my already-packed workday got a bit tighter. I still had to knock out a full workday and make sure my daughter stayed on track with her homeschooling. So I shifted into high-efficiency mode: meetings, emails, homeschooling, all while keeping a baby fed and a toddler occupied.
In an effort to keep my daughter’s learning on track without needing me at her side every second, I gave her a spelling activity.
To keep her going independently while I worked, I gave her a spelling activity. I made a note in my phone with a list of words, read them out loud one by one, and had her write them down. Simple enough.
Until I reviewed her work.
She had spelled hello as HILOL.
Now, I’ve taught her to sound things out and do her best, so this was a perfectly reasonable attempt.
But instead of gently helping her adjust it… I confidently corrected it to: Hellow.
Yes. I confidently added a W to the end of “hello” and handed it back like I had just delivered the gospel truth of spelling.
And the kicker? I stared at that word for way too long, because something about it just looked…off. I blamed the capital H. Told myself I just wasn’t used to seeing “Hello” with a big fancy H at the beginning. That had to be it.
It wasn’t.
Later, her dad reviewed her list and, with a raised eyebrow, asked, “Did she mean to add a W to hello?” And that’s when my daughter looked up at me, visibly puzzled—because I’m the one who’s tackles her language arts lessons, and if Mom said that’s how you spell it…
Cue the mild embarrassment and major giggles.
But hey—perfect opportunity for a life lesson. I reminded her (again) that grown-ups don’t know all the words either. Sometimes, just like kids, we make mistakes. We sound it out. We guess. We learn. We laugh at ourselves and move on. She giggled, I cringed a little, and now “Hellow” is officially a family inside joke.
So while “hellow” won’t be making it into any dictionaries anytime soon, it did give us a sweet and silly moment—and a great reminder to pause, breathe, and maybe not attempt to teach and lead conference calls at the exact same time.
Have you had a moment like this? Where you were doing too many things at once and ended up with a story that still makes you chuckle? I’d love to hear about it—drop your funniest multitasking moments in the comments!