It's that time of year again, when the daily trip to the mailbox requires a small forklift to hoist the catalogs and store circulars. I admit, I love browsing through the pages filled with things I'll never buy. Leave it to the nice folks at Hammacher Schlemmer to come out with remote control authentic World War II battling tanks, which can be gift wrapped and boxed for a small fee.

But for me the real gift this time of year comes wrapped in a small envelope. It may not look like much on the outside, but rip it open and therein lies a true delight. Because what would Christmas be without those those holiday photo cards from friends and families?

I've always loved them. As a child I'd run to the mailbox on my way home from school, hoping to be the first to scoop them up, then I'd take them inside to savor each one. The big smiles, the fancy dresses, the roaring fireplaces! I wanted to climb inside those pictures and experience what appeared to be The Perfect American Christmas. Not that Christmas at my Egyptian household wasn't merry, but it was different: a little later in the year (we follow the Eastern Orthodox calendar and celebrate on January 7th), and a whole lot louder. Inside those cards I imagined an orderly, glowing world where families gathered around a piano to sing Christmas carols while drinking egg nog, a beverage that never made its way across the Mediterranean or into my family's home.

These photo cards have different greetings, from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Kwanzaa," but we all know what the true message is: "Look how cute our kids are!" And they are SO cute. From little girls in matching dresses and barrettes to the dog sleeping under the Christmas tree, they are snapshots of holiday perfection, and now that I have my own family, I wanted in.

According to one of my Supermom neighbors, it was already too late. It was early November when she informed me she'd be going for a "Fall Theme" with her holiday photo cards this year. "You're supposed to have a theme?" I wondered as I chewed on my son's Halloween candy. Then I forgot all about it until December rolled around.

So yesterday it occurred to me I should probably get going on this whole photo card thing. I even came up with a Theme: Wishing You a Happy Ho Ho Holiday. I would use my new "Ho Ho Ho" holiday decor from Target. I'd enlist 2-year-old Noah to hold part 1 of the sign, 5-month old Cecilia could hold part 2, and I'd even get the cat in the picture with the 3rd. Yes, I would achieve the Hat Trick of holiday photo cards: festive message, cute kids, fluffy animal.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a Ho Ho Horrible idea, for several reasons:

1. The sign was too small. 2. Noah was not impressed. 3. The cat was nowhere to be found. 4. Encouraging my little girl to hold a sign that says "Ho" was probably not such a great idea.

On to Theme B: Cute Kids in Holiday PJs. Maybe I could get them to hug each other, in a display of holiday sibling love. Or maybe not.

OK, how about Theme C: Cute Kids in Holiday PJs just lying peacefully together.

It didn't look quite as peaceful or festive as I had imagined.... And yes, I was beginning to grasp at holiday straws as the pursuit of the "perfect" holiday picture was really starting to jingle my bells.

What about Theme D: Santa hats? Who doesn't love a Santa hat?

Cecilia, apparently.

We never made it any further through the thematic alphabet, and I still don't have a holiday photo card. Nor do I have a perfectly decorated tree or the ability to make a decent batch of eggnog. I've decided to leave the pursuit of "perfect holiday" where it belongs- in the realm of Santa and his elves. Eventually we'll get something in the mail, and when we do it will read Merry Christmas from our imperfect family to yours. May we all embrace the not-so-picture-perfect moments that make us real.

Mona Shand is a radio and TV news reporter who wishes all annarbor.com readers an Imperfectly Happy Holiday.