Featuring:
Dear Foster Mom (
DFM-aka Sleepy)

- soon to be celebrating a major birthday (she bought the golden Mickey Ears in honor of the upcoming big day) but feels like a kid, especially at WDW; enthusiastic (obsessed?) trip planner; loves Streetmosphere's Frankie ("he's sooo cute"!)
Dear Foster Father (
DFD- aka Grumpy),

who moans about the endless planning and amount of time DFM spends on the DIS, but loves being at WDW and all the inside scoop DFM learned from DISing; often confused by the many schedule changes and machinations "just tell me where to be and when"; celebrating the birthday-that-would-not-end
Dear Foster Brother (
DFB)-

13, a typical teenager; fun, funny wiseguy and a pretty good sport; likes to take pics of himself "sleeping" on RnR and other thrill rides; so cool he could almost be a croc
ME--

(hey how 'bout a croc icon? anyone?) the STAR of this gig,
FREDDIE FOCKER, adventurer, cosmic foster child, crocodile,
green -- "I'll try anything once!"
waving to Miz Diz and Lori S-- Hi Mom! and Mom!
Day 1- Sunday 2/18
Hey! it's COLD here! This is so NOT what I am habituated to, being from more tropical climes. They told me I'd be warm here in sunny Florida. I know I am cold-blooded but this is ridiculous! Think the new fam brought me some earmuffs? It's been literally freezing here...
Good times were had with MizDiz and crew but it was time to say goodbye for a little while and move on. We had a "meet cute" with the new fam in the lobby at POR. DFM doesn't do mornings (she is "Sleepy" after all) so she almost missed Miz Diz et al who were having a delicious breakfast at Boatwright's. (DFB just loves that stuffed French toast- he had it the first day- while DFM and DFF go for the sweet potato pancakes. Me, I like EVERYTHING!) Fortunately both families found each other in the lobby and DFM FINALLY GOT FOCKED!

I was already waiting at the check-in desk but we all got together for the pass-off shot:
DFB was off with friends at the "other" park in town and it was going to be a very late night (EMH til 3 am at MK) so we all chilled (as in.. brrr) at the fine POR for a few hours and just got to know each other. Soon it was time to go pick up DFB and as soon as we met, we knew we'd be tight like brothers should. He confided he's always wanted a bro. I also got an earful about how he'd been dying to fock someone in WDW besides his Mom and Dad

- there'd been none at all on the last trip and it was soooo sad

I offered my help, of course, but having no fingers, it was tricky. We had a quick bite in Captain Cook's and hopped the monorail for MK around 8:30 while DFD moved the car:
PIC Coming
I was glad to be toted around on DFM's back instead of trying to navigate MK- I'd've been croc soup for sure! It was

but I was assured that it would quiet down in the wee hours and then we'd make hay before the sun shone. We all settled down on the benches in Tomorrowland to enjoy Wishes. DFB was eager to initiate me on Space Mountain so we headed over there right away. Rats! It was broken! And apparently had been on and off all day. They told us to come back in an hour. We looked around to see what we should do.... Buzz's line was 70 min - and DFB refused to go on Carousel of Progress- so we hopped aboard the TTA and huddled for warmth while reconnoitering. But hey-- as we rode thru Space Mountain, guess what? It was up and running already! I tried to persuade them to just jump out of the tram right there but DFF wasn't biting. I wonder if Mr. Morrow ever found his party from Saturn.... so as you can guess, as soon as we descended the platform we hit the floor running for Space and got on in about 30 minutes. DFM is always nervous about doing this ride and the CM wouldn't let me have my own seat- something about inter- galactic regulations, yada yada- so I sat with her (really wished I had those earmuffs as her screams were deafening) and tried to keep her calm

. It was, as my erstwhile bro and permanent pal would say, "BEAST!"
When we came out to the arcade (what, no gift shop??) a whole family had just been granted a wish, and were all playing the race car video game for FREE while a CM moderated the race. They all went to get their YOMD certificates so the seats were all empty... Way cool and it looked like fun, so DFB and I sat down to play and turned out it was still on-the-house! A little

! His driving could use some work tho- he wound up in 33rd place and he was the only one playing
We then met up with some friends from NY- DFB's pal and he wanted to go do Indy Speedway. Personally, I think it's a snooze- it's just too slow- so DFM and I went into Cosmic Ray's and grooved to the musical stylings of Sunny Eclipse.

(and you thought that shot of my sister with Richard Simmons was da bomb!)
LOTS of pics coming soon!!!