"One More Time and Twice After That!"

The backflip chronicles from the Best Western pool

Part 4. Chronicling moments I don’t want to forget. Mundane, maddening, and magical. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

I don’t have a choice. My kids always make me. So there I was again, in the Best Western pool, trying to figure out how to get out sooner rather than later. The pool was crowded, and the water looked suspect.

My two youngest—ages seven and nine—had just mastered underwater backflips. That quickly turned into launching off dad’s back into a flip, which evolved into me tossing them over my shoulder like some backyard circus act.

After five throws each, I took a break.

But my seven-year-old daughter wasn’t having it.

“Again, daddy! Throw me again!”

I tossed her five more times.

Not a backflip. Not the Best Western pool. But a cool moment and photo.

“Okay, last one,” I said sternly, then threw her extra high over my shoulder into the pool’s deep end.

She popped up—goggles foggy, blue eyes shining beneath them—grinned, and said, “One more time and twice after that!”

I laughed. How could I say no?

I tossed her again. And again. Each time she came up, she said it with the same rhythm, the same grin:

“One more time and twice after that!”

It never changed. It wasn’t a question. It was a magical phrase, as if saying the words made everything possible.

My back started to ache. My arms were sore. But I kept tossing her.

“One more time and twice after that!”

Thank you,

Ved Shankar

and

Nat Lee

for creating the 30-day posting challenge and

Danny Oak

for building the helpful tracker. I have missed days, but have written more, commented on others’ posts more, and met some quality writers.