The Middlest Sister

The girls peer down the sloping shoreline of Long Lake.

I Am Right, You Are Wrong Again

I have eaten crowsicle. Typically when we went sledding, we dragged our sleds down to the elementary school or to the big hill behind the library. One day, I was feeling a bit too lazy to make the hike, so I suggested to my sisters that we try sledding down the slope of the beach at the lake. It was much, much closer to our house and I thought it would be amazing to go flying over the ice on the lake. Even though it had been a bit warmer lately, I thought the shallow waters of the lake must surely still be frozen. I know– that makes no sense. Well, I was 9.

The girls peer down the sloping shoreline of Long Lake.

"I don't think it's frozen anymore..."

"It looks frozen..."

"It's not."

"It's still winter, isn't it? Of course it's still frozen."

"Whee! That's what you say when you're having fun. You refer to yourself and some other people. "– Mitch Hedberg

Nicki celebrates her short-lived victory

CRACK! I will never forget that chilling noise.

"I am right! You are wrong! You are the freezingest thing of all!"


Seriously, it doesn't even rhyme.

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Nicole Smeltzer

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Comments

88 responses to “I Am Right, You Are Wrong Again”

  1. Rae Avatar
    Rae

    Aw, did she really fall in the frozen lake?!

    I love the “Crack” in the ice!

    Reply
    1. Rae Avatar
      Rae

      P.S. What’s a crowsicle?

      Reply
      1. themiddlestsister Avatar
        themiddlestsister

        You know that phrase “Eating crow” that people use when you are humiliated in your utter and complete proven wrongness? I ate a frozen one. Like a popsicle. Like a crowsicle. …um, it’s been a long day… haha

        And YES! I totally did that. I will never forget how cold that water was or the loud crack of the ice just when I thought I was safe.

        Reply
        1. Tin Roof Press Avatar
          Tin Roof Press

          but doesnt falling in a frozen pool mean you could die? or get frostbite? or hypothermia? or just drown?

          Reply
          1. themiddlestsister Avatar
            themiddlestsister

            I suppose it the water was deep, if the temperature was low, or if exposure was long enough. But it was shallow, it was relatively warm, and we lived so close, I was home really quickly. Still, this will be one story where my mom reads it and says “You did WHAT?!”

            Reply
            1. Tin Roof Press Avatar
              Tin Roof Press

              hahaha Well I should think so!
              The ending worried even me.

              Reply
  2. Charlotte Belanger III Avatar
    Charlotte Belanger III

    Chrissy was wrong about some stuff too…you should illustrate those times, they bring me so much satisfaction. I still can’t believe how you can nail her facial expressions using paper…

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Oh, she’ll get her comeuppance someday…

      Reply
      1. Emily Avatar
        Emily

        Didn’t Chrissy already get her comeuppance in last week’s installment of The Middlest Sister, when it came to light that “fractured” and “broken” mean the same thing, and she was therefore wrong to belittle Charlotte’s injury? Anyway, as for this delightful little slice of life, please tell me that Chrissy attempted to help Tess out of the water before mocking her……didn’t she?

        Reply
        1. themiddlestsister Avatar
          themiddlestsister

          Actually it was me who fell in! No need for rescue, it was shallow enough :)

          Chrissy was not proven wrong immediately, so it didn’t count!

          Reply
          1. Emily Avatar
            Emily

            So, that’d mean that you’re Nicole, and Tess is the girl on the far right with the long brown hair and purple dress with white swirls?

            Reply
            1. themiddlestsister Avatar
              themiddlestsister

              Yup! :)

              Reply
              1. Emily Avatar
                Emily

                Oh, it says right up on the top of the webpage, so……you are right, I am wrong, I am the absent-mindedest one of all. ;)

                Reply
  3. russelllindsey Avatar
    russelllindsey

    Needs a LOVE button. Reblogged. :D

    Lindsey

    Reply
  4. russelllindsey Avatar
    russelllindsey

    Reblogged this on Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde and commented:
    Perfect blog post for today. There are childhood memories with my brother and sister hidden in their somewhere. If you haven’t taken the time to check out The Middlest Sister yet, you’ve been officially warned – completely addicting!

    Lindsey

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thank you! You are so kind!

      Reply
      1. russelllindsey Avatar
        russelllindsey

        You’re welcome. Totally in love with your blog, and so is my Mom, who happens to be the middle sister of five :D She’s a blonde too, like the middle figure at the top of your blog.

        Lindsey

        Reply
  5. Chatter Master Avatar
    Chatter Master

    Ha! Crowsicle! Awesome! I can’t say enough how much I love your blogs!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Liz Avatar
    Liz

    Love the “CRACK”! Especially where you made the ice crack around the letters – so cool!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thanks, Liz!

      Reply
  7. missemmalou Avatar
    missemmalou

    Aww… you were the freezingest of all them all. I love the details!

    Reply
    1. missemmalou Avatar
      missemmalou

      Oops…I mean the freezingest thing of all….

      Reply
    2. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      haha, I was! Luckily, we lived close to the lake, so it wasn’t long before I was warm in front of a fire!

      Reply
  8. notquiteold Avatar
    notquiteold

    You may not have been smart (at that moment) but you were BRAVE! Take that, sisters!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      I had a great many impulsive ideas in my childhood. I cannot even count the number of times I wound up falling into icy water in winter time…. so yeah, not so smart :) Kind of funny ’cause it took a LOT to get me into the water during summer.

      Reply
  9. Angie Z. Avatar
    Angie Z.

    The ice “crack” is fantastic! I’m glad you weren’t hurt. I’m reminded of a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, and George Bailey ended up deaf in one ear!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      There wasn’t any danger of getting hurt :) The lake was shallow and we lived really close to it, so I didn’t even have to be “freezingest” for long.

      Reply
    2. Shannon Avatar
      Shannon

      Me too! Love the “crack” frame. I loved it all, really, but that was meticulously thought out and applied so aptly. Made real impact, so-to-speak. Your posts never disappoint. Thanks to Angie for sending me your way. I’m slipping it in here so you don’t feel the need to reply to my comment. :)

      Reply
  10. The Duchess Avatar
    The Duchess

    This is adorable. Yes, ‘crack’ is a winner. x

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thanks! I’m glad I could make a good “crack!” panel. The sound haunts my memory :P

      Reply
  11. The Pencil Pirouette Avatar
    The Pencil Pirouette

    Crowsicle, good one!

    Oh, to have talent like yours.

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Haha, thanks!

      Reply
  12. ChangedByChange Avatar
    ChangedByChange

    Oh my goodness! Seriously? love it as usual

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thank you! I think it was worse to be proved wrong than it was to be freezingest.

      Reply
      1. ChangedByChange Avatar
        ChangedByChange

        Oh, I bet! I still hate it when my siblings prove me wrong!

        Reply
  13. Pierro's mum Avatar
    Pierro’s mum

    ugh.
    I went ice skating on the lake with my middle sister (I am the youngest) once.
    It was sooo fun. I was so pumped to skate at the lake and see all of my friends. My sister, like 5 minutes into the skate, skated too close to the pier and her leg went all the way into the frozen water.
    I was so bummed. She want to go home!!! grrrrr

    I love this one today. Well done, Nicole!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Ohh, I’ve had that happen to me, too! My sisters and I had little “fairy pond” just in the woods by our house where we would skate. It’s a horrible feeling to have a boot-full of ice water!

      Reply
      1. Noteworthy Avatar
        Noteworthy

        The fairy pond was the ultimate deception, but most of my ice-filled boot moments happened in the creek. The hike always felt so much longer when your toes were totally numb. haha

        Reply
  14. Boggleton Drive Avatar
    Boggleton Drive

    I had a vague recollection of skating on a pond in my youth, falling in a gaping hole in the ice and struggling in a panic to hang on to the edge of the ice, which cracked repeatedly. I floundered, but my skates were dragging me down into the freezing cold water… Then my dad came and heroically pulled me out. I thought he had saved my life up until a couple years ago, when I returned to the pond.

    It was barely knee-deep. Funny how memories are like that.

    Great post as usual!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Aww! If my daughter ever thinks I saved her life, I’ll have to make sure she never revisits the spot where the “rescue” occurred….

      Reply
  15. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    I love the “crack”! How did you do that? I love it!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Chrissy left some blue highlighting foils at my house the last time she was here and it worked perfectly for the frigid lake water. For the ice, I layered a white tissue paper over blue-grey paper. I was so happy with how it came out!

      Reply
      1. Monica Avatar
        Monica

        Thanks for the details – not that I am ever going to attempt cracked ice haha. But you are a real artist!

        Reply
  16. Connie B. Dowell Avatar
    Connie B. Dowell

    Haha. Great kid-logic. Winter = frozen, right?

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Exactly! :)

      Reply
  17. sj Avatar
    sj

    So who got to rescue the sled from the lake?

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Ha! I went back and got it. It was logical, since I was already wet.

      Reply
  18. drewpan Avatar
    drewpan

    Omigod! That sounds like it could’ve turned out a lot more tragic than funny!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Hmm, I can see how people may think that…. the lake was actually very shallow until you got much further in, so there wasn’t risk of drowning.

      Reply
  19. Miranda Gargasz Avatar
    Miranda Gargasz

    Crack! My fave panel! You never cease to amaze, my dear!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      It’s my favorite, too… just the right combination of papers to give it a real icy feel!

      Reply
  20. 5kidsmom Avatar
    5kidsmom

    Hi! I too have the ‘CRACK’ sound adhered within my memory banks! Course I didn’t quite hear the crack until after my ‘AIRBORNE Super Saucer’ flew over the bank and into the FREEZIE water! Yea, my snow suite was very crunchy (I’ll never forget that sound either!) However, I’m the oldest, needless to say, I set the bar high for my siblings :) Funny thing is, my brother (the middle one) was rolling down the hill hysterical-he never did try to save me!
    I enjoyed this—-love the felt thing.

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Super Saucers were so thrilling, though! I bet it was worth it :D

      Reply
  21. The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife Avatar
    The Simple Life of a Country Man’s Wife

    your ‘crack’ work is spectacular! as is all of it, really. this reminds me of sledding down the big hill with my sister and the neighbor girls. we got into an argument, and she grabbed the sled and took off. unfortunately, the thin electric fence stopped her by the neck. so scary, but thankfully she was all right. lovely post!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Oh wow, now THAT’s scary!

      Reply
  22. morristownmemos by Ronnie Hammer Avatar
    morristownmemos by Ronnie Hammer

    I also loved the way the hair of the daredevil flew back behind her as she sledded down the hill.
    Delightful!

    Ronnie

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thank you, Ronnie!

      Reply
  23. MegansBeadedDesigns Avatar
    MegansBeadedDesigns

    What a crazy, memorable experience! Thank goodness you were close enough to home that you could quickly get warm before getting sic or worse!

    Yeah, if I was your mom right now I would be banging my head against my desk repeatedly. LOL

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      We certainly got into a lot of mischief that she was never aware of… until this blog!

      Reply
  24. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Oh my! I can’t imagine how cold that was!
    Love your art work – you’re amazing! :)

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thank you, Sarah!

      Reply
  25. Balsillie & Associates Avatar
    Balsillie & Associates

    Wonderful, and yes, love the CRACK in the ice!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thanks, I was so pleased that it turned out just the way I envisioned it!

      Reply
  26. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Love this one, especially! Oh Chrissy…..

    Reply
  27. Rae Avatar
    Rae

    Thanks for the update and letting us know you survived!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      hahaha!

      Reply
  28. Paprika Furstenburg Avatar
    Paprika Furstenburg

    Loved the crack in the ice!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thanks! I am so glad I could pay proper homage to that terrible sound.

      Reply
  29. bhbkidstyle Avatar
    bhbkidstyle

    Hahahaha! And your mom didn’t/doesn´t know about it?

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Well, I guess she does now… She can’t ground me, though. She’s not the boss of me anymore.

      Reply
      1. bhbkidstyle Avatar
        bhbkidstyle

        Yeah, there area few advantages being a grown up.

        Reply
  30. Pete Howorth Avatar
    Pete Howorth

    Still, at least you had fun up to that moment, whizzing down that hill, a pleasure that your sister didn’t experience! In HER face!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      It was perfectly thrilling. I regret nothing (except being wrong.) That song torments me.

      Reply
  31. whatimeant2say Avatar
    whatimeant2say

    It’s amazing any of us lived through childhood. I would KILL Dimples if she ever put herself in that kind of danger. Ironic, huh?

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Ha! I know! When my husband and I exchange stories and injuries from childhood, it makes me want to keep my kid on a leash forever or until she’s 40.

      Reply
      1. Emily Avatar
        Emily

        But then she’ll have no stories to tell her husband…….

        Reply
  32. tita buds Avatar
    tita buds

    CRACK! I sooooo love this blog. :)

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Thanks, Tita! :D

      Reply
  33. asoulwalker Avatar
    asoulwalker

    Ah, I remember the first time I fell through the ice as a child… such fond memories…

    Reply
  34. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    P.S., This story reminds me of a sledding excursion of my youth, in which I accidentally rode my plastic orange sled, or pink and purple GT Sno-Racer (I forget which) into the river at the bottom of the ravine. I thought that either the sled would stop before I got to the river, the water in the river would be frozen, or there WAS no water in it at that time. Either way, when I got to the bottom, nature was right, I was wrong, and I was the freezingest thing of all. ;)

    Reply
  35. monicastangledweb Avatar
    monicastangledweb

    I just love your work. Every picture has so much to take in. So charming, I just want to hug it! I always look forward to your posts. The cracked ice–nicely done!

    Reply
  36. pegoleg Avatar
    pegoleg

    They say that crow is a dish best eaten cold…sorry you had yours frozen. What great chattering teeth on poor, shivering you!

    Reply
  37. lethithanhthuy Avatar
    lethithanhthuy

    i love you,this is blog nice!

    Reply
  38. Russ Nickel Avatar
    Russ Nickel

    Hahaha. The freezingest thing of all!

    You are so awesome, because I did this exact same thing, but had totally forgotten until this very moment. I had no idea that memory was still buried somewhere down there. Huzzah!

    Reply
    1. themiddlestsister Avatar
      themiddlestsister

      Yay! It’s definitely a memory worth remembering.

      Reply
  39. Somerset wedding gal Avatar
    Somerset wedding gal

    Adorable! But glad you’re okay and not… frozen.

    Reply
  40. Charlotte Avatar
    Charlotte

    Haha this made me laugh, reminds me of me and my younger brothers, but they prove me wrong all the time. Love the art work with this too, it’s so beautiful.

    Reply

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