ATC 40 - Page 5

Cards 1..5 are from a homeschooling family. Card 1 is from the mom. She punched the cat shape, then backed the card with purple construction paper.

Card 2 is from Son Number 2, who was in my MathCounts class for three years. Last year, we joked about pumpkins and pi and then the family carved a set of foam pumpkins for the Math Team teachers with a Pi letter carved out.

Card 3 is from Son Number 3, who was in my class for just one year. He made cake and Neapolitan ice cream for me on the card.

Card 4 is from Son Number 1, who I also had in class for only one year. This card suits him well. He produced a video promo for the homeschool Honor Society that had a spy theme to it.

Card 5 is from Son Number 4, who would have been in my Math Olympiads class this year, but isn't. I was also fond of drawing rainbow concentric outlines around shapes when I was in junior high. Our band folders featured a profile silhouette of a band in the bleachers and there were just too many cool shapes for me not to play with them.

Card 6 is from my junior high social studies teacher. My mom thinks he's cute. For my high school graduation, he gave me two pairs of nifty socks.

An aside:

I teased my mom before my birthday party. When I graduated from high school and mom hosted the typical graduation open house, at our house, she specifically asked me not to invite any of my teachers. Teachers made her nervous. She felt judged. Like they were going to grade her on decor or dust? I honored her wishes, though.

It disappointed me, because I have always like teachers as people. It took me quite a while to understand the term "brown-nosing" because I never expected to benefit by a grade for being friendly with my teachers. Maybe because my grades were good enough anyway. Sure, I liked the attention from them and the virtual pat on the head, but mostly I just liked talking with my teachers. I thought that someday I could be one. (Look at me now.)

So I teased Mom, telling her that I invited a lot of teachers to my birthday party. Ha. Ha. Ha. Only one was able to attend, but many have sent cards.

Card 7 is from someone who first knew CHG and then became my friend, too. While visiting another church once, I saw a note on the bulletin board from her, asking for crafting playdates. So I called her, we set up a time, she had dinner with the family and we made some cards. It's fun to play with someone else's supplies. New ideas can spark. She makes her own line of greeting cards, decorated with flower petals in a smearing wavy way. This card is on watercolor paper and cut with deckle scissors.

Cards 8 and 9 are from a musician friend from both my summer and Local College bands, and from her 21mo son, whom my mom babysits once in a while.