Tuesday Forecast/Update on Cousin

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
All is quiet in the the tropics.

Meanwhile, winter storm warnings and snow advisories are in effect for the northeast and northern Appalachians. Highs in that part of the country will be in the 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Houston's weather and the rest of the country will be dry and pleasant. In fact a reinforcing shot of dry air arrives Tuesday. Look for a few showers in Houston as early as Thursday. Best chance for rain will be Monday/Tuesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
I would like to say family or familia, pronounced fah-mee-LEE-ah. There is nothing like familia when times are tough.

And this holiday season, you'll want to give something very special to those young ones in your family. So, get them something entertaining and educational. Enhance their cognitive development while teaching them Spanish through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Saw my cousin today (the one who had been injured in the car accident). She is working hard on her recovery and her family is by her side. One of the other passengers passed away last week (I only learned of it today). Please keep all of them and their families in your prayers.

Have a safe Tuesday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Forecast/Benefits of Mint

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropics are quiet!!!

But, it is really feeling like winter in northern Minnesota...forecast high for International Falls is 19 on Monday....brrrrr!!! There will be snow form the western Great Lakes into the New England States and southward into the Appalachians. Highs will be in the 20s and 30s.

Rest of the country will enjoy sunshine and dry weather.

Houston will start in the upper 30s and end up with highs close to 70 on Monday. Humidity will stay low into Thursday with a gradual rise in temperatures as the week progresses. A couple showers will be possible over the weekend. Looks like a deep trough will swing some storms through Houston a week from Wednesday. That means Thursday will be cool, breezy and dry--kind of like Saturday was.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
This cooler weather has me thinking about roasting turkeys and gearing up for the entire holiday season. So, let's do holiday or día de fiesta, pronounced DEE-ah day fee-ES-tah. It's always fun to celebrate with family and friends on a día de fiesta.

Speaking of holidays, time to get going on that Christmas shopping. Get the kids something they'll love to watch while being educated. Language learning has a multitude of benefits including stimulating brain development. An easy way to start exposing your favorite little ones to another language is through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Friday evening, one of our party goers was Doris Rotzoll, who works for NASA's Space Flight Meteorology Group. Their job is to forecast the weather for all possible shuttle emergency landing spots right after lift off. She had to report to work at 2 am all week. After the successful launch early Friday, she still came all the way to our party on the other side of town. She looked sleepy before leaving so I gave her some minty gum to chew on the way home. Mint has been shown to help make you more alert. I was so proud of her for her important work and so grateful that she still joined us.

I am celebrating a bit today because I obtained my broadcast recertification from the National Weather Association. They have more requirements than ever to keep it going. Also, Sarah got a great report from her pediatrician about her lab results. Yay!!!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to answer our new poll about the next secretary of state selection.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Sunday Forecast/Obama Poll Results/Secretary of State Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropics are quiet.

It is a stormy night along the eastern seaboard. Peaceful conditions will return on Sunday with some wintry precipitation over the Great Lakes states. There is a heavy snow warning over extreme northern portions of Wisconsin.

Houston's blustery weather is ending. Look for sunshine and low humidity on Sunday. It will be a cold morning with temperatures in the 30s...a light freeze for outlying areas. Highs will be in the 60s. Weather will be very pleasant and dry through Wednesday...cool mornings, mild, sunny afternoons.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do windy or ventoso, pronounced vehn-TOW-sew. Because of the tight pressure gradient, it was a very ventoso day.

Research shows that children fully immersed in learning another language experience an increase in their IQ. Here is the synopsis:

...a study of IQ data collected over a 5-year period (kindergarten to Grade 4) on pupils in a French immersion program...and pupils in the regular English program. ....repeated measure analysis indicates that the immersion group had a higher IQ measure over the 5-yr period.

This comes from: Barik, H.C., & Sain, M. (1976). A longitudinal study of bilingual and cognitive development. International Journal of Psychology, 11(4), 251-263. from PsycINFO database.

An easy way to start exposing your favorite little ones to another language is through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

Other ways are to check out Spanish videos from the library or watch Spanish language programming. Don't delay. Help them today!

AND MORE
Our poll asking how you think Obama has performed post election produced the following results:
62% yes, his performance is just right
25% yes he is doing fine but he might be wearing himself out
12% no

Now, I am excited to open a poll about Obama's selection for secretary of state. Vote for which person you think he should pick.

Had the opportunity to speak at a lovely luncheon courtesy of the American Association of University Women. These ladies were fascinating conversationalities, and I felt right at home immediately. I am grateful they invited me to join them.

Happy Sunday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Longaberger Facts/Wind Advisory

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Sorry this is so late...just finished with all the party related fun...I guess technically this is coming to you very early Saturday morning, but it is still Friday night to me.

Very strong cold front and associated deep trough is pushing through the eastern U.S. Cold air is diving southward from the western Great Lakes to the Ozarks. Highs will be in the 20s, 30s and 40s in this area with windy conditions. And there will be snow over the Great Lakes states. Look for thunderstorms, some possibly severe, along the eastern seaboard.

Houston weather will make us realize it is fall. Windy on Saturday...in fact there is a Wind Advisory in effect until 3 pm Saturday for the coastal counties. And all of the area is under a Fire Weather Watch because any fires which start could get out of control very quickly. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will only be in the 60s (wind chill on Saturday will make it feel like 50). Winds will be light on Sunday. Look for lots of sunshine both days. Looking for 30s Sunday morning...some freezing temperatures in outlying areas.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do cleanup as that is what I just did following the Longaberger party...in Spanish, limpiar, pronounced leem-pee-ARRRRR. The least fun of having a party is having to limpiar.

Kids don't always clean up their messes, but they love to learn. Their brains are made to learn multiple languages. So, get them a fun product which takes advantage of that...order our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
The Longaberger party was a blast! It was so good to see friends I haven't seen for a long time. The headquarters is in Ohio and looks like a basket. Seriously, I thought the photo was a fake as the building looks just like a basket, handles and all. It is 7 stories tall. I would really love to see that in person. The original Longaberger family had 12 children. Hopefully it was cheaper by the dozen for them.

Have a great weekend everyone! Two hands on the wheel when driving!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Friday Forecast/Saints/Longaberger Party

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Another area of disturbed weather is northeast of the Leeward Islands...some slow development is possible.

New cold front is pushing across the country this evening...some strong winds behind it with lots of wind warnings from the southern to northern Plains. Friday will be stormy from the Rio Grande Valley to New Orleans and up the eastern seaboard. There will be snow over the western Great Lakes states and the northern plains. And it will be cold there with highs only in the 30s.

Houston weather for Friday...mild with a few showers possible. Weekend will be dry, very comfortable and cooler. Saturday will be breezy...might be good kite flying weather.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word for today is assistance or ayuda, pronounced eye-YOU-dah. Sometimes, people need just a little ayuda.

The brains of children who are learning more than one language have been shown to be more dense in the area of language learning. You can provide your youngsters with that kind of helpful stimulation by watching our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco--order from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
I'm hosting a Longaberger party Friday evening at 7 pm. This is the modern day version of a tupperware party. Well, we are going to have a deliciously fun time. The theme is "Death by Chocolate" and I will have plenty of that. If you would like to come, email me at cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com.

My reporter friend, Leslie Williams, has produce another excellent article. It is about people getting assistance obtaining the basics...food. I was very touched to read about a lady who was getting assistance. She is taking care of a sick mother, working and raising a child.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6108105.html

These are the saints on this earth. Another mother I know has 5 children, can't get more than a pittance of support from her ex-husband and one of the children has Smith-Magenis Syndrome, with many of its most severe characteristics. God bless these people...give them strength and may those around them be merciful and help them.

Happy Friday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thursday Forecast/Chocolate Options/Burger King Benefits

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
For Houston, stationary front is hanging around on the coast. Until the next cold front arrives Friday afternoon, there is a slight chance for showers. It will be mild and a bit muggy on Thursday with highs in the 70s.

Much of the country will be wet on Thursday with showers and thunderstorms for the eastern states and wintry weather over the Rockies and extreme northern sections of the North Dakota and Minnesota and possibly Michigan.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is chocolate...my favorite food. And it is a food, sort of. Anyway in Spanish it is still spelled chocolate, but it is pronounced cho-co-LAH-tay. I have some good news for all chocolate lovers.

There are many ways to expose your children to another language. One way is to send them to a country where the other language is spoken. I have a friend who sends who daughters to Colombia every summer. They stay with their grandparents, have a ball, and really learn Spanish. Obviously, most of us don't have such options. But you can still expose your little ones to another language. You could try our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco--order from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Okay, here is the good news for chocolate lovers. Many of our favorite chocolate candies are being offered in dark chocolate form...like Hersheys kisses and there is even a variety park of semisweet to dark chocolate for those miniature candy bars. As you may have read, dark chocolate has anti-oxidants. I won't go into the fact that the fat content can get in the way. Basically the darker the better. Enjoy!

Until tonight, I had not been inside a Burger King for a very long time. Well, Sarah and I were in one tonight--her idea. They had a touch screen interactive game system and a WiFI room with at least one computer that actually worked. And there was no one in there. I was amazed. I think we will be be frequenting Burker King a lot more often.

Happy Thursday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wednesday Forecast/Flood Threats/Rainfall Totals

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A lot going on in the Houston area tonight...over the past 2 days, 5 to 6 inches of rain have fallen in Montgomery County/Northern Harris County. Sprink Creek is rising and minor flooding is expected...so there is a Flood Warning for that. All of the area is under a Flood Watch until Wednesday morning and several counties are under Urban and Small Flood Advisories as there is flooding occurring as I write this blog.

So please remember the rule of thumb--Turn Around Don't Drown (if you encounter a flooded roadway). Six inches of rushing water can sweep a person off their feet. One foot of rushing water can pick up and carry away a car.

Right now, there are slow moving lines of storms in the area and at least one Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued in Colorado County.

Wednesday, the rain will taper off in the morning in Houston. The models are backing off some on the return of less humid air. But it still looks like the rain will let up during the day. For the rest of the nation...it's 30s and 40s for the northern states with rain and snow over the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Also, look for thunderstorms from the Rio Grande Valley northeastward into the Tennessee Valley.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
A warning is the most serious type of statement issued by the National Weather Service. It means that type of weather is imminent or happening. In Spanish, this would be advertencia, pronounced ahd-vair-ten-SEE-ah. When the advertencia was issued, the residents stayed in their homes, rather than venture out into the flood waters.

We are waiting to hear if we are award winners from homeschool.com. This is the largest retailer for homeschool education materials. They invited us to enter their contest for best holiday gifts (free of charge). When I asked them where they heard about our DVD, they said they heard from a homeschooler who just raved about our product. We'll know the results come December 1st. So, keep your fingers crossed. We already won the 2008 Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product award. So, what a perfect gift this DVD is! You can purchase copies of our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
At right is my list of favorite weather web sites. One that I think you all will find very useful is the Harris County Office of Emergency Management web site. Look for my item called Harris Co. Rainfall Map. There you can find out just how many inches fell for different periods of time.

I am sending out a special prayer request for my cousin who was in a terrible car accident. The good news is she has been moved from the ICU to a regular room. But she is in a lot of pain and her memory is not right. Two occupants of the car were killed. One other was also critically injured. The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, is okay with minor injuries. Please pray for all of them and their families...especially the driver.

Have a safe Wednesday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman