Life With A Werewolf

Tis the Season

         Certain holiday traditions just run deep for certain families. Some families must watch "Charlie Brown's Christmas Special" every year or "A Garfield Christmas Special". Some families have to cook some large, complicated dish that requires multiple hours and multiple people to help make. My family growing up did a mix of all of those things. Well, when we weren't pecking at each other or outright fighting.
         Upon moving here though, I've made certain holiday traditions. The week of Christmas, I'll post something crazy and outrageous on the blog. Pranks or a top ten list of some insanity cooked up by experience and tongue-in-cheek cheer. Crash has work slow down, and we gather around food and fun for a little bit while our resident werewolf takes a break from the fur.
         Some of those things have stuck around. Some of those things have changed this year. One thing is certain, Crash has bought more gifts than normal. To be fair, so have I. Everyone accidentally got two when I meant to get one. And I blew my budget on each gift by at least ten dollars. That doesn't seem like much, but when you exist on a fixed income, it becomes a lot.
         However, with Crash, it seems almost impulsive. Sean of all people noticed it. He's normally the type who greets you with a smile, share a cup of coffee with you. Say something that seems almost dumb at times in his chill, surfer dude like attitude. This time, though, he stopped Crash in the hallway, patted his arm with a look of sincerity on his face that pulled his smile downwards and said, "dude, it's not necessary. We love you."
         This made me and Crash both pause. It wasn't intended to tug at hear strings, but it did in his own way. Crash had two more gifts in his arms that he was trying to shuffle down the hallway. He stopped and smiled, gave an embarrassed 'thank you', then disappeared again into his room.
         "What was that about," I asked Sean. He just shrugged, pushed his hair out of his face and said, "My dad used to do that after being gone on a bender for days." Then went back up stairs.
         I had two thoughts. One was to sit in Crash's room like a Family Matters episode and have a heart to heart. I'd even have found that same song they played all the time and played it in the background while I did so. My second thought was....pranks!
         For this prank, I decided not to go all out. I wanted one thing, and one thing only: for Crash to freaking let go for a while!
         Crash's prank he first pulled on me when I moved in came to mind. This prank was going to be reminiscent of that one. First, I was going to need a couple supplies. Thankfully, the local Dollar store carried most of the stuff. And it was plastic, so if the prank went awry, nothing would get broken.
         After one of Crash's nightly excursions, he came in the house, a bit grumbly as usual. He was still in full werewolf mode, tired, his ears folded back in that manner that always made me think of a dog who's just exhausted from being a dog.
         "Hey," I said. Then pointed to the table. "Saved you some dinner."
         Sitting on the table was a dog bowl, with Crash's name carefully stenciled on it. Inside the bowl was a large ham bone Kris had borrowed from a neighbor. Crash's eyebrows and ears went up. "What?"
         Before his brain has a chance to process what was going on, Zack came in and smacked him with a rolled up newspaper. "Bad," he shouted. "Bad dog! Eat your supper!"
         Crash shouted, "Hey!" Then tried to take the newspaper from Zack. Unfortunately for Crash, Kris and Sean where right behind him with their own newspapers, shouting, "Bad dog!" And started smacking him. I had one, and tried, but I was too busy laughing.
         With a loud growl, Crash snatched the newspapers, and began firing back.
         It was about then, that I had the brilliant idea to begin balling up the paper and throwing it at Crash.
         This started a chain reaction of sorts, that devolved into a paper ball war, which ended up with me getting most of the paper shoved down my shirt.
         At the end, he stood over me, a grin on his face that I hadn't seen for a while. "This was for the whole dog food thing, wasn't it?"
         "Among other things," I grinned back. "You know we're a pack right? We understand."
         "I know." Crash turned and left back towards his room. He denies it, but I know he had a wag in his tail.
         Last Christmas I gave a list of pranks. This Christmas we had that prank. I'm hoping pranks don't become part of our holiday tradition around here. But if they do, this won't be the first family to have a prank war, and we won't be the last.
         I'm just curious as to how he'll respond now. Lets hope it's with another 'dogfood' bag full of Reese's Puffs.