It was last Saturday morning.

“Mom, we would like to make our Christmas card this year.”

I looked up, and found my two children’s faces beaming at me, anxiously seeking my approval for a fun project. They wore the kind of expression that tells me that they are on to something. Something totally spectacular or horribly mischievous…

It was a mystery to me too that they were thinking about Christmas already. But my mind was quick to embrace their offer. Every year, we make our own Christmas cards and send them to our family and friends. I was getting bored with this holiday tradition.

Each year, hubby and I select the most ordinary red holiday background for our card, then we select a few pictures to put on it.

Despite the considerable amount of time we spent on our picture selection process, we always end up with pictures with the repeating theme. It always included one picture of the four of us, all smiling, and most importantly, all open eyes. One picture featuring the kids in a tight embrace. Then a few pictures of our kids showing off their athletic skills in various winter and/or summer sports.

My two children are blessed with creativity, and they are becoming increasingly computer savvy. I foolishly thought that they are the prefect duo to bring fresh designs to our tired annual Christmas cards.

That Sunday evening, we had just sat down at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants for dinner. It was one of these exceptionally loud, but small restaurant.

“Mom, do you have pictures of us sneezing?” my 12-year-old yelled across our not so big table.

??! My brain deemed necessary to cast doubt to my hearing.

“What?” I asked.

“Do you have pictures of US…” my 12-year-old then very deliberately pointed at each of us one by one, “sneezing?”

“Sneezing??!” me.

“YES! Sneezing.” 12-year-old acting out a fake sneeze to assist my poor hearing.

“Why?!” I was deeply baffled.

“BECAUSE! We want to put pictures of us sneezing on our Christmas card!” my 9-year-old chimed in excitedly with big wide eyes, as if not wanting to miss out on taking credit for being part of this scheme.

Who are these kids with such madding minds?! It is one thing that they are capable of absurd ideas, but they fully intend to implement them! Just imagine…if they had found the sneezing pictures sitting somewhere.

I stared at my children, looking horrified, as my mind posted images of us at various stages of sneezing resting on a shining rectangular red card adorned on a refrigerator door. Our card would bring holiday punishment to all those that have ever known us.

Fortunately, there was never any danger for all of us at stake. I don’t actually possess the requested pictures of us sneezing. But for extra precaution, I immediately fired the two of them from this project.

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