Quarter-Beaner Holiday!

You guys- I look like a walking mini-mariachi doll! In honor of my heritage, I just had to wear bright, bright colors and show my pride for de Mexicans! But of course, I look like a complete fool because it is inevitably RAINING (!!!) even though yesterday was super gorg. I think Seattle hates Cinco de Mayo . . . and Mexicans. But I am defying the weather by sporting a knee-length, frilly-skirted red and floral patterned dress with a lime green sweater and metallic bow flats- SO HARRUMPH! Ok so obvi ju want de story about me and de Mexicans and de quarter-beaner heritage . . . so I tell ju. De Ama (Mama Bigley's mom) is total Hispanic woman (beauuuutiful olive skin, v. petite (before de babies), and curly brunette hair (that she hates)), so Mama Bigley is half de Mexican and sooo me, Bum, and J are all quarter Mexican! Hence de quarter-beaner reference. Ole! De End.

No one ever believes that I'm hispanic beause I got more of my dad's Irish genes, however if you look at Bum- there is no question. She is like a mini-Ama back in the day. NOT FAIR. Bum was actually the one who came up with the term "quarter beaner" because she had a friend in high school who was also a quarter Hispanic. On Club Fair day in high school the two of them tried to start their own club, obviously called 'The Quarter-Beaner Club.' It didn't make it too far- apparently there aren't many of us out there, but it was a fun experiment and the name stuck. Despite the fact that I have the Mexican jumping genes (haha- clever) my mouth is super-sensitive to spicy food. I tryyyy to eat spicy stuff but my mouth lights on fire and then my taste buds are incapable of tasting anything during the following 15 minutes or so. N always finds this funny because he says, "How do you not like spicy food?! YOU'RE MEXICAN!" or he'll say, "Why are you so white?! YOU'RE MEXICAN!" (it's his fault that I've turned to cancer-inducing tanning beds). However sometimes it's a good thing because he'll say, "You roll burritos so well because YOU'RE MEXICAN" or "You make really good guacamole because YOU'RE MEXICAN." So at least I've got that going for me.

In addition to the little beans that flow through my bloodstream, you should know that my mother's entire side of the family embraces our Mexican heritage, for instance- whenever they are all together they talk in full-blown Spanglish, pass the "talking wand" (which can be anything from a stick of driftwood to a plastic spoon), and make up chants that nobody would understand. Sometimes they're sober but more than often they aren't. As children, we were mortified of this pratice, however as we've gotten older- we see the hilarity in the situation but try to keep our distance in the most Spanglish of times. Here is a picture of my crazy Mexican family (plus a few friends and minus 7 relatives who reside in Ohio):

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

-stay thirsty my friends-  



P.S. Please enjoy the photo below of my friends and I celebrating my Hispanic heritage back in 6th grade. We were the Chiquita Banana women- my Ama handmade the entire costume and her friend choreographed our dance for our grade school's Heritage Day . . . 

At least I'm not wearing THIS today! Bah!