Weekend Forecast/Spring Equinox/Bayou Wildlife Park

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Happy 1st day of Spring...according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, it began at 6:44 am (central standard time) today, Friday, March 20th. It is the spring equinox, the date in the Northern Hemisphere when the length of night and day are approximately the same (12 hours). The length of daylight will now be more than the length of night and will continue to increase until the summer solstice in June.

Pleasant weather across most of the country on Saturday...in the 70s and 80s across the south and 30s and 40s in the northeast. There will be some rain/thunderstorms across the plains and along the west coast and in the Intermountain region.

Houston will be partly sunny with highs near 80. Sunday will be more windy and still mild. Look for thunderstorms Tuesday into early Wednesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do spring or primavera, pronounced pree-mah-VAIR-ah. Happy 1st day of primavera.

Rain returns the middle of next week but never fear when rainy days threaten. You can keep the kids learning and happy...order our award winning DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
We made it to the Bayou Wildlife Park today...a fun but different experience from the last time we were there. The park was started 25 years ago by a husband and wife team. The owner is very proud of his giraffes. He told us he purchased one for 70 thousand dollars and was thrilled that it gave birth several months after arriving. He said he got 2 for the price of one. My guests were skeptical about whether it would be worthwhile (at $16 for adults and $8 for children). But afterward, they told me it was a neat experience. My step-daughter Megan (see photo) was able to join us. She got a kick out of feeding the various animals that popped their heads into our buckets. This one in the photo is a 2 humped camel. They can go 30 days without water. She also got to feed an ostrich and a wildebeest. A great time was had by all. The animals weren't super hungry this time. The workers said they had been mobbed by visitors all through spring break. They said the animals were nice and full.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

When To Expect Storms/2009 Hurricane Season Forecast

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

On Friday, the coolest area will be the northeast with highs in the 30s. Look for thunderstorms in Kansas and New Mexico and the Rockies. Highs across the southern tier of states will be in the 70s and 80s.

Houston has a Dense Fog Advisory until 10 am Friday. Weak cold front will move through early Friday but it will be mild in the afternoons and cool in the mornings. It will be breezy and even windy through Tuesday. On Tuesday only cold front arrives with thunderstorms.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do prediction or predicción, pronounced preh-deek-see-OWN. The Weather Research Center has released it's predicción for the 2009 Hurricane Season. See the And More section for more.

The John C. Freeman weather museum is a place which provides activities to help children learn to use and enjoy math and science. Another way to help your child develop skills in math and science is through language learning. Give your child's brain the gift of language--order our award winning DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
The Weather Research Center (home of the The John C. Freeman Weather Museum) has announced it's 2009 Hurricane Season Forecast. Their forecast is a 40% chance of a tropical storm or hurricane hitting Texas. Louisiana to Alabama has the highest chance--70%. The center is also predicting a total of 7 named storms (4 of those being hurricanes). For the complete report, go to:
http://www.wxresearch.com/outlook/.

Got my franchise tax problem (discussed in a previous blog) worked out. I went to the comptroller's office on Hamlin. Apparently, I needed to file a franchise tax return for 2007. I did not think I had to as we weren't even selling a product during that year. But since I had formed the company in May 2007, I had to file a report to say zero income. I also needed to file a report about officers of the company...one has of these reports has to be filled out every year. I thought I only needed to file once and then refile if there were changes. Go figure!!!

Have a fantastic Friday everyone!!!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wind for Weekend/Space Center Houston/Remembering Natasha Richardson

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Still nice and warm for the southern 2/3rds of the country...some 90s in Arizona on Thursday. Cool spot will be the U.P. of Michigan with highs in the 20s and some snow showers. Look for some rain/possibly a few thunderstorms in central Texas and in the southeast--see Storm Prediction Center map at right.

Houston has a Dense Fog Advisory until 10 am Thursday. A weak cold front will graze by the area early Friday. Pressure gradient will tighten and it will get very breezy over the weekend. Temperatures will be cool in the mornings and mild to warm in the afternoons. Look for some showers as early as Sunday with most likely day (s) being Tuesday/Wednesday.

AND MORE
Let's do space of espacio, pronounced s-spahs-EE-oh. The final frontier is espacio and a great place to "explore" it is Space Center Houston.

Space Center Houston encourages children to enjoy math and science and learning languages has been shown to help increase standardized test scores in math and science. Give your child's brain the gift of language--order our award winning DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
We had such a good time at NASA's Space Center Houston today...I had been promising Sarah a visit during Spring Break. It was very busy but worth the trip. I don't know how long the kid's playground has been there, but it is the tallest I have ever seen. And there is another big slide outside the restricted kids' play area that Sarah and I went down 3 times. Sarah doesn't like to watch any movies but we still found enough to keep us occupied for 4 hours straight. By the way, that diving act from Orlando is amazing. There is a photo of it on the front page of today's (Wednesday 3/18) Houston Chronicle. That act is outside the dining area.

One of the problems which tends to occur with Sarah's syndrome is low immunoglobulin levels. Well we got some very good news today!!! She has responded amazingly well to her last immune system booster...a pneumonia vaccine called pneumovax. All of her immune levels for about 10 different types of pneumonia are up dramatically. The immunologist did caution that she could develop lower levels of resistance over time. So, we will monitor. Children who have the type of chromosomal deletion which Sarah has, are short one of 2 alleles used for fighting bacteria. Researchers are very interested in the immune system response of children with Sarah's pattern of deletion because it helps them determine what exactly that 2nd allele (Smith-Magenis Syndrome children have) does. Thus, by exclusion they get information on what the deleted allele does. So, in short, children with SMS are like celebrities to immunologists (and highly sought after). For more on SMS, go to prisms.org.

Some thoughts on Natasha Richardson (wife of Liam Neeson), dead as a result of a ski injury--she was one of my favorite actresses. I first saw her in a troubling movie called The Hand Maids' Tale...check it out if you get a chance.

Have a terrific Thursday everyone...don't forget to visit The John C. Freeman weather museum--free admission between 12 and 4 on Thursday.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Keeping up the nice weather/Fun and Inexpensive Things to Do on Break

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Most of the country is very spring like and will be that way on Wednesday. There will be plenty of 70 and 80s across the southern 2/3 of the country. Look for some thunderstorms from eastern Oklahoma to western New York state. There could also be some showers in Florida. Enjoy!

Houston is under a Dense Fog Advisory until 11 am Wednesday morning. Fog and low clouds will take some time to lift but look forward to another sunny afternoon with highs in the upper 70s. Weather will stay mild to warm through the weekend. It will be breezy Saturday and Sunday with a few showers possible.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do museum or museo, pronounced moo-SAY-oh. Hey, have you checked out The John C. Freeman weather museum in the museum district? I'll tell you when you and kids can there for free!!! See the And More section.

I am a huge advocate for early language learning. Some of the free ways to do that are check out Spanish videos and books from your local library. And for not too much money, you can order our award winning DVD for children, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Order from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Looking for some interesting things to do this break. Well, Space Center Houston is having a 1/2 price deal if you purchase online and print your own tickets. You have until 4/1 to take advantage of this deal and the tickets last up to a year!!!

http://www.spacecenter.org/Prices.html

Check out the John C. Freeman Weather Museum. If you go Thursday between noon and 4 pm, admission is free! For more information, check out this link.

http://www.wxresearch.org/

Sarah and I were invited by our friend Lyn to check out the Hong Kong mall today. It was absolutely fascinating and very easy to find. It is on Bellaire about 1 mile west of Beltway 8. Inside, you will find groceries, shops, and eateries. Couldn't resist buying this pink parasol for Sarah--price $4.

I have a question for all of you. We are attending a weekend rodeo show. I got a notice which posts the time as 3:45. Does that mean the concert starts at 3:45 or the rodeo? Anyone know? Would appreciate your help on this one.

Have fun and be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Will It Stay Dry?/Who Was St. Patrick?/Poll Results/New Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A very nice Tuesday for most of the country...some rain early in Boston and some showers in the Florida. Also there could be thunderstorms from eastern Iowa into Michigan. Look for rain the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies (snow in the higher elevations). All non-mountainous locations should be above freezing. It will be in the 70s and 80s in the central and southern plains and from the southwest to the southeast.

Houston will be mostly sunny...starting out near 50 and ending up in the upper 70s. There will be a gradual warmup and increase in humidity as the week progresses. It will be breezy on Sunday. Rain chances will remain very low through Sunday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do luck or suerte, pronounced SWEAR-tay. How about some suerte of the Irish on St. Patrick's Day?

There will be lots of green on St. Patrick's Day. We are working on Volumes 2 and 3 of our DVD series DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco and in Volume 3, we have colors including green!!! In the meantime, you can order the award winning Volume 1 from www.frankandpaco.com/ and you'll have it by mid-week. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Our poll on favorite fruit closed...here are the percentages for top picks: 14% apples, 14% oranges, 14% grapes, 28% strawberries, 14% pears and 14% watermelon. No one picked banana, blueberries, pineapple, peaches, cantaloupes, kiwi, or cherries as a favorite. Thanks for participating.

Our new poll is about what you are doing this Spring Break. You can pick more than one answer. Have fun!

Since Tuesday is St. Patrick's Day, I am including a link to the New Advent web site with a long biographical discussion about St. Patrick. One thing I learned is that he was from Britain and only initially ended up in Ireland because he was captured and made a slave there for 6 years. He lived in the 300s and 400s (AD). He did come up with the idea of the Trinity (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but the whole shamrock connnection is debatable. Also, according to the account on this link, he was an amazing 106 years old at death. Some might consider that lucky!!! Anyway, enjoy the read.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11554a.htm

Happy St. Patrick's Day and don't forget to wear green!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Spring Break Forecast/Rodeo Deals/Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Jet stream will flatten and shift northward on Monday. A weak cold front is moving through Texas today (Sunday). On Monday, rain will shift eastward into the southeast all the way up to D.C. There will also be rain in northern California and the Pacific Northwest. There will be a few showers possible in the Rio Grande Valley during the first half of the day. Coolest spot will be northern Maine with highs in the upper 20s. The nations mid-section and southern plains as well as all southern states will have highs in the 70s and 80s.

Houston...sunshine returns Monday!!! And it will be mostly sunny all week. Morning lows will be in the 40s and then 50s later in the week. Highs will be in the upper 70s and low 80s. Stock up on the sunscreen!!! And get ready to enjoy the great outdoors. There is so much to do from going to the rodeo to the beach to the zoo to taking a picnic. Look for breezy conditions Saturday and Sunday--good kite flying weather. It is going to be a lot of fun! Be safe everyone!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do vacation or vacaciones, pronounced vah-cah-see-OWN-s. It is so much fun to be on vacaciones.

Of course, sometimes, you just need to unwind and relax---maybe let the kids watch a video. You can feel really good if the video they are watching stimulates their brains while entertaining them. Here's a good choice...our award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco!!! Order today from www.frankandpaco.com/ and you'll have it by mid-week. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.


AND MORE
If you are thinking about going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this spring break, here is the link to the web site:
http://hlsr.com/

If you are looking for a good deal, you might want to go this Wednesday (3/18)...a value day. Here is the link to the page with information, but after the link, I am including all of the information on the site. Note, that there are a number of special deals, including free admission for kids 2-12 (not including the rodeo and rodeo concert), and free admission for military personnel and dependents (with 1 guest). Have fun!
http://www.hlsr.com/ticket/rodeo-houston-tickets.html

$10 Value Day Rodeo/Concert Ticket in the upper level of Reliant Stadium (includes Reliant Park admission)
choose from the three Wednesday superstar entertainers
championship rodeo action
$20 Value Day Package (includes Reliant Park admission)
choose from the three Wednesday superstar entertainers (upper level ticket in Reliant Stadium)
championship rodeo action
one Prince’s hamburger or one personal Papa John’s pizza in Reliant Stadium
one Coca-Cola product fountain drink in Reliant Stadium
two carnival ride coupons, plus games, food and select ride specials
$5 off official Rodeo merchandise with $25 purchase
half-price pony ride
half-price pony ride photo
one petting zoo feed cone
$5 Value Day Reliant Park Admission (does not include rodeo/concert admission)
Free Value Day Reliant Park Admission (for seniors, 60 and over, and children, 12 and under — does not include rodeo/concert admission)
$5 Value Day Miller Lite Main Street Lot Parking (available until 3 p.m. each Wednesday)
Salute to Our Troops Day – Wednesday March 18 — On this special day, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will honor U.S. military personnel and their dependents. All active duty, reservist, retired and discharged members of the military, and their dependents (with military identification), will be welcome to enter Reliant Park free of charge (must present a military identification), with one guest.
How to Purchase Value Days Tickets (no service, processing or mailing charges)
In person at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Ticket Window on the second floor of Reliant Center, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Online click here to buy now
By Phone 832.667.1080

Happy 5th birthday to Gabriella! She had a popstar theme on Saturday. Her Mom made the cool microphone cupcakes at right. This is a fun project to do with your kids during spring break. To make these, you mix up cupcake mix like usual. Then pour into cake type ice cream cones until about 2/3 full. Bake amount of time on cupcake instructions. Note, the cones won't burn. Cool and frost/decorate as desired. I think the hardest part is balancing them--I put each one in a muffin tin, placing them on the tray already on the rack in the oven. Gabriella's mom Mollie rocks--she always makes the coolest birthday party treats!

Have a safe and fun spring break everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Spring Break Forecast/Mingle with the Wildlife on Spring Break

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A spring break thaw for the entire continental U.S. (at least this weekend). The coldest areas will be along the northern states with highs in the 30s. There will be rain in the southeast and Texas and rain in the western states. By early in the week, jet stream has moved back up northern along the northern tier of states and that is primarily where the coolest temperatures and showers will be.

Houston will start to warm up a bit. Highs on Saturday will be in the 50s and highs on Sunday will be in the 60s. Then, expect highs in the 70s Monday through Friday. It will rain a bit on Saturday with rain more likely on Sunday as a weak cold front makes a glancing blow...enough to clear us out. A few showers are possible late in the week...but don't cancel any outdoor plans.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do park or parque, pronounced PAR-kay. I am going to tell you about a fascinating park in the And More section.

Here's an idea for a fun and educational Easter gift...our award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Order your copy today from www.frankandpaco.com/. You can also order from http://www.venturaes.com/, http://www.dololanguages.com/, http://www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. For our English as a Second Language (ESL) version, got to http://www.frankypaco.com/.

AND MORE
Looking for something fun to do on spring break. Take your youngsters to the Bayou Wildlife Park. We went there on Sarah's field trip and I was amazed at how many interesting animals were eating out of our buckets. I think we are going to take Sarah and Megan's grandparents when they come for a visit next week. Check it out!

http://www.bayouwildlifepark.com/

Have a fun and safe Spring Break!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman