When you a kid, did you and your parents ever have any 'fun' activities and pastimes that you did together on a regular (or semi-regular) basis?

No. My parents were not the playful types. We did spend summer vacations in Santa Cruz, which are my favorite memories growing up. And we did a lot of Portuguese festas from spring early-fall (a big thing in Central California), which I also enjoyed.

My dad and I would play checkers once in awhile. I do remember "reading" to my mother a lot. She somehow managed to tolerate listening to stuff she couldn't have cared poo about.

my mother "tried" to take us to amusement parks and outings. But she had such a bad sense of direction that we rarely got there. Once when we were on our way to Busch Gardens, she took a wrong turn and wound up on a hidden military base. The guard came to the gate with a M16 type of weapon and pointed at the car. Yelling and screaming at her to about face. She kept asking him for directions and he said that if he told her, then she would know where the base was, which was top secret. He kept yelling and she kept whining and crying --- and the five of us kids were screaming and crying..... now its funny

Play Jeopardy

Take roads trips

Play board games

Go out to the movies/dinner/amusement parks

Typical shit....

My beloved grandmother would take me to the beach, to museums, sometimes on hikes up the beach. She taught me card games and never gave an inch so I had to get good at them. She also had a really wild sense of humor that also helped me a great deal. When I was 5 though she did the most wonderful thing she could have done for me, she took me to the library and got me a library card. I loved her then I love her and miss her now.

Not really. I had some great times with my maternal grandfather.

Me and my mom used to have fun watching the stories together.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........................