SOCK MONKEY CAAAAKE!

 You must read that the way it is written "SOCK MONKEY CAAAAAKE!"  Ever since I wondered if I could make a gluten free ice cream cake with a sock monkey (LMM has a sock monkey he adores that inspired his birthday theme) face on it and told Little Monkey Man about it, he has yelled "SOCK MONKEY CAAAAAKE!" whenever anyone mentions a birthday or a party or cake.  He's been excited for months.

 His birthday started off with Uncle "Alligator" and Aunt Danielle, along with Grandmommy and Pop Pop being at our house.  We had pancakes (his favorite) for breakfast and I added a candle for good measure.  You're only 3 once, right?  My mom gave me a book called "Cooking For Isaiah" that if you or someone you love eats gluten free you MUST check out.  These pancakes are from it, and they are great!

 After breakfast we packed a picnic and headed for the Children's Gardens.  I've posted pictures from there before...in fact we went there LAST year for his birthday.

 Neither the air nor the water were warm, but the kids wanted in anyway.  I love this picture because it looks like LMM has the ball suspended in thin air-like a magic trick!

 I never get tired of taking pictures of Rosebud.  Here she is cuddling with her Uncle Nathan.

 The koi/frog pond in the garden.

 The bees were out in full force pollinating the flowers.

 I think I took as many pictures of plants and bees as I did of the children!

 We'd been there about an hour when it started to rain.  It wasn't exactly lunch time, but it seemed like a good time for daddy and Uncle Nathan to go get our lunch.  We waited out the rain, and then were able to go back out after it stopped.  I know they'll both be pleased I posted this one.

 Snug and Aunt Danielle in the music maze.

 This is one of two doors into the garden...this one is the kid one  :o)

 Outside the children's garden is another set of gardens.  For the next two years this "sculpture" will be on display.  Then it will need to be taken down and turned into mulch as it will be starting to fall apart.  It is made out of saplings that are overgrown and taking over a local wetland area.  I should have taken a picture of the explanation of it all, I don't really remember.  A famous person who does this all over the world made it.  

 Inside the "sculpture" it is like a maze.  The kids played hide-and-seek for quite awhile.

 A view of the formal garden.  (If you want to see more garden/flower pics, click here)

 After naps and the putting up of decorations, it was time to PARTY!  I made his shirt, and his hat was made as part of Faith and Travis' adoption fund raiser!

 Getting ready for the party...

 The "setup".

 And then it was time to eat.  I even made him a sock monkey pizza!  Gluten free of course!  Our favorite pizza crust for him is by Bob's Red Mill.  It is fairly inexpensive, quick, and EASY.

SOCK MONKEY CAAAAAKE!!!!  Yep, this is the final product.  It is a 2 layer ice cream cake that I made using a springform pan.  In the middle is hot fudge.  It is frosted with fondant and the monkey face is fondant.  Which I think tastes like the bottom of a shoe.  But we peeled it all off and enjoyed the "cake".  

Happy Birthday big guy!   You are a special and great kid!!!!

**At his 3 year check up he weighed in at 32lbs and is 38 inches tall.  I don't know if I posted about it or not, but he does not qualify for any special services from this point out.  Although he still has a Sensory Processing disorder (always will) they don't feel it affects his day-to-day life enough to qualify and he is not delayed enough in speech either.  His last day of school was last Thursday.  Yeah for him!!!!!

To see his birthday from last year, click here.