By now, you probably have discovered that I do a lot of improvisation. Sometimes it works out (like finger love). Other times, it doesn’t (see finger of doom). My most successful, I think, has been Air Five.

In case you don’t remember Air Five, it’s a way of “high five”‘ing your child from a distance. You hold up your right hand, and slowly count “one, two, three – Pop!” When you say pop, you move your hand forward as if you’re giving a high five. After a few tries, you and your kid will synchronize, and you’ll both say “pop” at exactly the same time every time you do it. Then, you’ll be able to do it without speaking. Just hold one finger up, then two, then three, then do the high five gesture. You can do it when your kids are on stage, playing soccer, pretty much anywhere.

The other day, however, it reached a whole new level. The kids were in Texas with their mom and called me to say “good night.” When my six year old got on the phone, I asked him to put one hand in the air. “One,” I said, and then paused. We said “two” at the same time, then “three”, and then shouted pop.

I could swear I felt his hand hit mine, all the way from Texas.