Things we did in the school holidays, part 1

I don't know about you, but the summer break from school doesn't feel like as long as it was when I was at school.  Even though it is actually a week longer, we only used to get 5 weeks, unless you went to the local grammar, in which case you had 6 weeks.  I didn't go to school here until I was almost 14 and even those holidays seemed to stretch out forever.
So...what did you do to pass the time during school holidays?
One thing we used to do, especially if it was a wet/cold holiday...no necessarily summer...was  that we would "do" jigsaws
I don't know if the British are peculiar in the way they do jigsaws.  That is make the picture up and then after it is finished and has been admired for the appropriate length of time,  (I think this was in direct proportion to how long it had taken to complete.)  We would break it up and put it back in the box, to be enjoyed again another time.
Are the French the only people who think this is peculiar?  As I know that when my parents holidayed in France once they bought a puzzle and completed it.  The owner of the gite knew they had got a jigsaw and was invited to admire the finished product.  Then Mum went to break it up, at which the owner said "Non!", disappeared and came back with a piece of wood and some cling film.  Slid the board under the jigsaw and then cling filmed the jigsaw.  Telling my parents they should frame the jigsaw.
Anyway, that is besides the point.  Whenever we did jigsaws at home...usually just my younger sister and myself...Mum would come to see how we were doing and perhaps help.  (Mum always seemed to be busy in the kitchen when we were younger.)  As time went on and the jigsaw picture merged we would start to have trouble, because there would be a key piece missing.  I don't know how long it took us to twig...but Mum would put a piece, sometimes two in her pinny pocket. Just so she could put the last piece in.
Last week my sister took Mum a jigsaw, which Mum has been busy doing, what I am wondering is...has my sister tucked a piece into her pocket so Mum will find herself a piece short?
I'll let you know.