If it wasn’t for grandpas, I think summer vacations would be boring.  Grandpa Hal takes time to play games with me.  Did you know that in England the game of Checkers is called Draughts?  Boys like me started playing Draughts way back in the 1100s in France.  Just like then we call the big round pieces “men”  The darkest color gets to go first.  Darn, Grandpa Hal got to go before me.

I love Grandpas because they make me think.  Grandpa Hal is really smart.  He would not let me beat him, but his man was on top of mine, so I told him, “I won!”  He was not happy with me.  In 1532 someone added the rule that if your man CAN jump, he MUST jump.  That’s not fair because then the opponent sometimes can do a double or triple jump and capture lots of your men.

Grandpas make Mom pay attention to me, and take my picture.  I don’t mind posing.  Grandpa Hal winked at me.

We played Hide-N-Seek.  I hid in the tulips.  They couldn’t find me!  They kept calling and calling for 100 minutes.  I laughed and laughed, then they heard me.

Summer is for eating.  When Mom and I travel back east we love to go to Cracker Barrel.  Grandpa Hal took Mom and me to Cracker Barrel.  

If you go to Cracker Barrel, games are everywhere.  I found a friend, Mr. Toucan.  He repeats everything you say.  Mom played with his brother at Grandpa Hal’s house, so she had to buy one.  I hate that we stuffeds are “bought.”  Anyway Mr. Toucan still sits in his box on the floor in my room.  We never play with him now that we are not on vacation.  I’m ready to take another vacation!

Vacations are fun because even Mom stops to play games with me.  What do you do on vacations.  Write and tell me.  You can even send stories with pictures, if you want!  My friends would love to hear your vacation stories, too.