Zia Has My Back

This summer we are having late nights. Last week my husband arrived home with the kids from a cousin's house down the block with Zia in tow as the lightning bugs were getting fired up. We assembled in the kitchen because the kids had not been fed. I was struggling to figure out a quick dinner that everyone would eat, when our five year old son yelled across the table at me, "Mommy - Cook corn! - that's alliteration!" I was in awe. But my happy Mommy moment was confused for a second because Zia immediately started yelling, "Luca! Abbiate pazienza! La tua Mamma sta facendo dieci cose, il mio uccellino!" which I realized after my standard translation delay meant something like, "Luca, be patient! Your mom is doing ten things at once, my little bird!"