Hurricane Ida Update/Baylor Medical Students Babysit Our Kids/Weather this Week

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

As I write this post, Ida is a hurricane with 105 mph winds (that's a healthy Category 2). It looks like it will strike the northern Gulf coast somewhere between Lousiana and the Florida panhandle very early on Tuesday as a low end Category 1 hurricane. A Hurricane Warning has just been issued for a portion of the Missippi coast to a portion of the Florida coast with a Watch extended further west and east on both sides.

In the Pacific, all is quiet.


For the US, highs will be in the 70s to 80s from the southwest to the northeast (except New England where highs will be in the 50s and 60s). Highs will be in the 50s and 60s out west and north behind an eastward moving cold front and associated upper trough.


For Houston, Monday will be less humid. Cold front arrives overnight Sunday into Monday with rain as it passes. There is a coastal flood warning in effect but this actually has to do with a trough in the western Gulf. After Monday, there will be several days of fair, pleasant fall weather (like last week) and then some showers over the coming weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do picnic or picnic, pronounced peek-NEEK. Find out about a special picnic Gordy and I hosted in the AND MORE section.

Spanish is a fun language to learn. Help your kids enjoy it while being entertained and educated through out award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Volumes 1 and 2 are now available at www.frankandpaco.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, www.ebay.com, www.barnesandnoble.com. We also have an ESL version and a special web site, www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE

On Friday night, for the 5th year in a row, Dr. Lorraine Potocki in the Baylor College of Medicine at Texas Children's Hospital and the Baylor Medical Students took care of Smith-Magenis Syndrome and Down Syndrome children so that their parents could have a night out. This year, they really did it up big with Sesame Street characters like Bert and Ernie, unicycle performances, Gymboree entertainment and great food provided by Chick-Fil-A. Each child was paired with at least one medical student partner. Sarah had two helpers, Nina and Zena. Joey and Zara were busy checking in each child. Thank you so much!!!


That night, our group of parents of children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome headed to D'Amico's Italian Restaurant in Rice Village. It is crazy, busy around there on a Friday night, but they cleared a space for us. The food was fantastic and the wait staff excellent.


This year, in our home, we hosted Randy and Mary Beall (president and wife of the president of Parents and Researchers Interested in Smith-Magenis Syndrome). They brought along their 24 year old daughter Laura who has SMS. They also brought another little girl with SMS whose family was busy at a tournament for her sister. We had a great, albeit intense time. You see, people with SMS have a huge zest for life and a persistence to get what they need which I would venture to guess is second to none. Saturday morning, before the picnic, I am making breakfast in the kitchen and at times, I had all three of the girls right on top of me. They were all wonderful of course. But, I must say, it was quite comical at times. We all had a good laugh about it. We also enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences. Such an experience sheds a lot of light on what we deal with day to day, because you see behaviors that they all have in common.

The picnic was wonderful. First of all, it was on Saturday, when the weather was gorgeous! The only problem was that a full bottle of sugary soda got spilled and the bees came in a throng. We finally had to remove the most sticky cooler to a location beyond the children. I washed it off and that helped. The bees weren't mean but they sure knew what they wanted. Last year we had a cotton candy machine. Well, the bees had gone crazy hovering around. One bee landed in a little girl's hand and she started messing with it and it stung her. So, we didn't do the cotton candy this year. We had a scavenger hunt, played fall bingo, did a cookie walk, played a new game called sticker attack, bounced in the moonwalk, and enjoyed favorite songs. Thanks Megan for providing the outstanding selection of music. We had sensory nook with a big tub of bird seed which the kids enjoyed shoveling and digging in (and sometimes sitting in). And there was a reading nook with all kinds of kids books. We also were treated to a wonderful hamburger/hot dog lunch with Gordy and Keith doing the cooking. Everyone brought something and we thank them all for that. Our most distant family came all the way from Mexico City. And, we had several families from the San Antonio area. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Well, you can imagine that we are pretty pooped. So, that's all for now.

Have a great week everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Ida Update/Special Night for Special Needs/Happy Wedding

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Ida became a hurricane on Thursday. Then, it moved into Nicaragua and as I write this post, it is a depression. In another day or two it will be back out over the northwest Caribbean and will move into the Gulf by late Monday. For those of us along the upper Texas coast, I am happy to say that the models are now showing a turn to the northeast which means that Florida is most likely to deal with a strike...and that is what statistics would suggest. The intensification questions is interesting. Some models show strengthening to hurricane force. Wind shear looks to decrease at the time it moves into the southern Gulf and water temperatures are still warm enough. So, we shall see.

Dry and mild on Friday with highs in the 70s and 80s for the southern Plains and central US. Highs will be in the 40s and 50s in the northeast and northwest. Look for some showers in the northwest.

Houston, looks like the chamber of commerce weather will continue through Saturday. Then, there is a chance for some scattered showers and thunderstorms Sunday and Monday. So, plan the outdoor activities for Saturday. I don't think Sunday will be a wash out. So, you might be able to get outside on Sunday too.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do wedding or boda, pronounced BOW-dah. I went to a boda last night. Find out more in the AND MORE section.

TNT Media is one of our DVD distributors. They work for Alliance Entertainment which in tune supplies Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Target and even Walmart. I am happy to say that we have been getting more orders. So, I suspect the video is starting to take hold in some of the Barnes and Noble stores where they have been giving it some shelf placement. Don't miss out...order Volumes 1 and 2 today from www.barnesandnoble.com, www.bestbuy.com,
www.amazon.com, or our web site www.frankandpaco.com.


AND MORE

This has been a super busy but fun week. Last night, we went to the wedding of an old high school buddy named Vannie. She finally met Mr. Right and they were married last night. My other friend Marilyn went all out to make sure the celebration was perfect. The bride wore black and burgundy....a beautiful combination and that theme was echoed in the bridal party. Congratulations Vannie and Willie. Much happiness!



This is a big weekend for parents of children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome. Gordy and I are hosting the 6th annual SMS picnic for the families of children with SMS. We have a variety of games and activities planned. One of the favorite parts is the sensory area with a large container of bird seed. The kids love to dig in it and let the seeds run through their fingers. At the end, we toss the seeds to the birds. This get together brings people from other states, even other countries. We have a new family joining this year from Mexico City.



Baylor College of Medicine is one of the top 3 research facilities in the world for SMS. At the helm of the research is Dr. Lorraine Potocki. Dr. Potocki is very aware of the stress on the families. So the 2nd year we did the picnic, she started something called Parents Night Out at Baylor. The Baylor medical students watch SMS and Down Syndrome children while the parents get to go out. Many people don't understand how hard it is to get away when you have a special needs child. It can be nearly impossible to find someone qualified to watch them. For some of the participiating parents, this is the only break they ever get. Many of them have families and friends who are just too afraid to watch their special needs child. So, we thank you Dr. Potocki. We are so grateful!!! God bless her and the important work being done in genetics all over the world.



Happy weekend everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair

Wonder Weather Woman

Heads Up - Tropical Storm Ida could strike Gulf Coast

Hello all -
Just a quick update this evening to tell you about unusual Tropical Storm Ida...not because of where it is but because of where it might go. After it hits Nicaragua (overnight) and moves over land, it will probably get out over the northwest Caribbean and then into the Gulf. Forecast models suggest that it will make landfall...possibly upper Texas Coast but more likely somewhere from Louisiana to Alabama coast. If it hits Texas, this will be a new record latest storm...historically latest tropical storm strike was October 17th and latest hurricane was October 15th. The scenario we are facing looks like one of the best chances to break the record. The timing would be around Tuesday/Wednesday.

The other question is how much will it strengthen over the Gulf. Intensity forecasting is a very inexact science. But, I would not rule out a hurricane (at least a low end one).

More to come.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

More Nice Weather

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
There is an area of disturbed weather in the southwest Caribbean that has between a 30 and 50% chance of developing. This area will be fairly stationary over the next day or so. The tropical Pacific is quiet.

Wow! The weather is so quiet all over the US. I feel sorry for the folks working at The Weather Channel. Must be agony to be covering the weather right now.

Highs will be in the 40s and 50s across the northern half of the US and 60s and 70s across the southern half...with low humidity almost everywhere. Trough digs south into the Rockies late in the weekend and brings some rain to the central plains and Texas through Tuesday morning.

Houston, more delightful weather through Saturday...lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s. Some scattered shower on Sunday.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Chamber of Commerce Weather/Inexpensive Help for Your Feet/Obama Administration and FOX News

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

There is an area in the northern Atlantic which has greater than a 50% chance of developing into a subtropical or tropical storm in the next day or so. If it gets names, it will be called Ida. The system is moving northwest to north...probably won't be a concern for any land areas. Meanwhile, tropical Pacific is quiet.



It could be argued that almost of the all of the country will have Chamber of Commerce weather on Monday. Highs across the southern 1/2 of the country will be primarily in the 70s. Across the northern 1/2, highs will be in the 40s to 60s. There could be a few snow showers in International Falls, Minnesota. There won't be any huge changes over the next few days.

And for Houston that means that all week will be sunny with low humidity with lows in the upper 40s to low 50s and highs in the 70s. Even the upcoming weekend looks very pleasant. Enjoy!



SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY?
Let's do feet or pies, pronunced PEE-ays. Do you pies hurt? See an affordable solution in the AND MORE section.



Just got another order from Amazon for our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Now, I am trying to get the buzz going about our newly released Volume 2. One of the chapters in Volume 2 goes over terms for parts of the body including feet. For Volume 2, we just applied for a new award. Will let you know when I find out. In the meantime, you can order Volume 1 or Volume 2 from web site http://www.frankandpaco.com/ or at http://www.amazon.com/. If you order through Amazon, please help us out and put in some positive comments. It makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Volume 1 has three chapters about Home, Family, Eating/Drinking and Play. Volume 2 has three chapters (and about 50 words/phrases) My Day, My Body, My Feelings.



AND MORE

So did you do a lot of extra walking this weekend (what with it being Halloween and nice weather and all)? Are you feet hurting? Have you been thinking about orthotics but you don't have insurance that will cover. Well, my friend Tanya has come to the rescue! You can make you own custom orthotics using an avoidable kit.


http://www.yoursole.com/

Just click on PRODUCTS and then select FOOTBEDS and/or PLATINUM SANDALS. Tanya said that her's fit great and her feet feel fantastic! So check it out. Thanks Tanya! Many feet will thank you!

Our poll on how you are responding to flu season is closed. 33% said they have gotten their kids the regular flu shot. 111% said they have gotten their kids the swine flu vaccine. 55% said they will get at least one flu vaccine themselves. 11 said they will get their kids the regular flu vaccine. 11 said they will get their kids the swine flu vaccine. 33% said they will not get their kids the regular flu vaccine. 44% said they will not get their kids the swine flu vaccine. 33% said they will not get any flu vaccine for themselves. More than one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

Our new poll is about the Obama administration and FOX News. What are your thoughts and feelings? More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Have a great week everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair

Wonder Weather Woman

Next After Rough Weather/Time Change/Origin of Halloween

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic is quiet. In the Pacific, there is an area off the western Mexican coast that has less than a 30% chance for developing.

Two big stories tonight...winter weather in the Rockies and severe weather pushing into the southeast US. On Friday, the stormy weather will be over a part of the southeast US. This is in advance of an eastward bound cold front. Ahead of the cold front, highs will be in the 70s and 80s. Behind it, highs will be in the 40s over the Rockies and northern plains and in the 40s to 60s in Texas and the southwest. West coast will be in the 50s and 60s. It will be in the 40s and 50s in the northeast.

Houston is under a Flash Flood Warning and Tornado Watch this evening until 9 pm. Heavy rain is moving through as I write this post. More light to moderate rain is possible until about noon on Friday, but the batch tonight is the worst of it. Friday afternoon, clouds will break and we're in for Chamber of Commerce weather all weekend and through the next week. Lows will be in the 40s and 50s and highs will be in the 60s and 70s.

Houston Trick or Treat forecast...temperatures in the 60s...no rain...low humidity! Trouble spots in US for Saturday...southeastern states--Florida up to Mid-Atlantic.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do change or cambio, pronounced cahm-BEE-oh. Don't forget about the time cambio this weekend! See the AND MORE section for details.

Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco is now being offered on ebay. Take a look and let me know what you think! You can also order Volume 1 or Volume 2 from our award winning series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from our web site www.frankandpaco.com or at www.amazon.com. If you order through Amazon, please help us out and put in some positive comments. It makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Volume 1 has three chapters about Home, Family, Eating/Drinking and Play. Volume 2 has three chapters (and about 50 words/phrases) My Day, My Body, My Feelings.

AND MORE
Daylight Saving Time Ends on Sunday morning Nov. 1 at 2 am. You will want to set your clocks back 1 hour (fall back 1 hour) before you go to bed on Saturday night. Kind of good timing with Halloween parties etc. For those of you who have no children, this means an extra hour of sleep. For the rest of us...the bosses determine our sleep schedule.

Pizza Hut has a deal on top of a deal! If you order more than $20 on line, you get $4 off your order. So, you could order 4 Pizza Mia pizzas for $20 and get them for $16 (plus tax). Buy some and freeze for later. That's a good deal.

Here's some interesting Halloween origin info. that was given to me by our CCE coordinators at St. Laurence. Back in the early 7th century the Church picked May 13th as a day to honor all of the saints (because there were too many to give a feast day for every day of the calendar). Then, in 835, Pope Gregory moved the feast day to Nov. 1st. He knew that Nov. 1st was a festival of death day for the pagan people who did not believe in God. He wanted to Christianize this day. Today, Catholics celebrate November 1st as All Saints Day. (by the way, all people who have died are remembered on Nov. 2nd--All Souls Day).

Anyway, Halloween is a contraction for "Hallowed Evening". Hallowed is an old english word for "holy" (remember..."Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name...")?. Well because Oct. 31st was the eve of the Feast of All Saints (the holy ones), people started calling it All Hallows' Eve. Eventually, that phrase morphed into Halloween.

Whatever you do this weekend, be safe and have fun!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Heavy Rain Returning to Houston!/More on Swine Flu/Donate an Animal

HURRICANE AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic is quiet. Tropical Pacific has one area with less than a 30% chance of developing.

Big, deep trough is digging south over the western US. As I write this post, winter storm warnings, watches, advisories are in effect from the Rockies into the northern Plains and in some of the Intermountain Region. On Wednesday, highs will be in the 30s and 40s for much of this area. Across the southeast, highs will be in the 50s to 70s. West coast highs will be in the 60s...Pacific Northwest 40s and 50s. There is a slight risk for severe storms in north central TX and western Oklahoma.

Houston, here comes the rain again!!! The showers should begin late Wednesday and then look out for some severe weather and heavy rain on Thursday...especially after noon. Surface cold front arrives between 6 and 9 pm Thursday. But, upper trough doesn't pass until the 2nd half of Friday...so more rain, even some heavy is possible into Friday pm. This is a big concern given that there are flood warnings right now on the Brazos and Trinity Rivers. Everyone really needs to pay attention to the weather these next few days! Trick or Treat forecast looking good with temperatures in the 60s (evening) and no rain expected.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do cow or vaca, pronounced VAH-cah. Buy a cow for a needy family this holiday season. Find out how in the AND MORE section.

Yep...less than 2 months until Christmas!!! Just today, I had an order through a friend (thanks Mollie) from a lady who wants to help her family and friends who speak only Spanish--to learn English. That is what I call our ESL version through www.frankypaco.com.

Of course for all you English speaking folks, we have 2 DVDs from which your youngsters will love learning Spanish! Order Volume 1 or Volume 2 from our award winning series, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from our web site www.frankandpaco.com or at www.amazon.com. If you order through Amazon, please help us out and put in some positive comments. It makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Volume 1 has three chapters about Home, Family, Eating/Drinking and Play. Volume 2 has three chapters (and about 50 words/phrases) My Day, My Body, My Feelings.

AND MORE
Quick update on Sarah. She is doing much better. No fever since Sunday. Still congested with runny nose and went home early on Monday--very unusual for her. Said she had a headache. Sleeping more and sleepier than usual still. After consulting the CDC web site and looking around, I could not find any fever type or other reactions to the Swine Flu vaccine. So, I'm thinking that maybe it was coincidence--she caught Gordy's cold. That right that is weird as Gordy almost never gets sick. Ironically, (knock on wood), I have not gotten sick. I know...now I'm doomed! Anyway, still not sure about her fever. But, I'm just glad she's not running one any more.

So, I'm trying to do some quick posts on Quickbooks. Okay! Okay! Again, it is telling me there is an update. I CAN'T STAND THE UPDATE GUILT. Gahhhhh!!! Okay! I'll install the update already! And of course, that delays me a good half an hour. But I finally completed it! Oh the stress of it all. Finally, I have peace!!!

Ran into Randall's to pick up a few things this evening...it was the most convenient grocery store. And, I was very surprised to see how low the prices were for Randall's card holders. I got my milk for $1.99 a gallan. The eggs were $1.69 (I think) for 18 (one and a half dozen). The bananas were .49/lb. Even Sarah's overnight pullups were $15.99 for 21...all of these same price as HEB. And I like that the store is smaller so I can get in and out more quickly--especially with Sarah by my side. I have no idea where my Randall's card is--I just give them my phone number.

Ran into a new stocker at the Randall's. He said it was only his 2nd day at the Sugar Land store. He said it is so nice and quiet--unlike the downtown store he came from. Said that the downtown store is always mobbed as it is the only grocery store in the area.

I am teaching 2nd grade CCE at St. Laurence. Today, we received our fall service projects and I think our's is so neat! We are collecting money for Heifer International. If we reach our goal of $320, we can purchase the following: one sheep ($120), one goat ($120), one flock of chicks ($20) and tree seedlings ($60). The families also receive education on how to care for the animals and trees so they can help themselves. So, I googled this and here is the link:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/k.9430/Gift_Catalog.htm?msource=kw1016
What a great gift idea for the person who has everything!

Here's to making the upcoming holiday season truly meaningful!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman