I Can't Put My Arms Down!

One of the funniest things I've read in a long time was posted on the Mary Queen of Heaven alumni Facebook page awhile back.

Mary Queen of Heaven Parish and Emerson Elementary School are located right next door to each other on West Avenue in Elmhurst. Kids who attended Mary Queen School back in the day used to call the kids that went to Emerson (a public school) the "Emer-sinners," apparently.

The counter attack from the Emerson kids was a little chant: "Mary Queeners have green _____."

Well, there's another reason to keep the rivalry fired up between the parochial school kids and the public school kids: Some of the former actually had the day off today and were careening down the sled hill at Berens Park in the freshly fallen snow, while the public school kids toiled away in the their classrooms. (Maybe we shouldn't tell the District 205 kids this.)

I wasn't sure I'd find anyone out there at all, because the temperature barely hit 20 degrees this morning. Add the wind, and it gets face-numbing pretty quickly. I thought I might come across a couple of big "kids" at best. But, as I approached the hill, there they were. Hard-core snow bunnies from Immaculate Conception School. And, there were some kids too young to be in school yet, bundled up like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story."

One of the IC kids told me it is a teachers' institute day. Just to be sure, I looked it up, and it most certainly is. How is that for timing?

The public school kids will have their chance next week, as they'll be off both Monday (Martin Luther King holiday) and Tuesday (institute day). They all will get their four-day weekend, it's just a matter of how well the snow will hold out.

The National Weather Service says everyone should get their fair chance on the hills, especially if they get out over the weekend. The forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of snow today with a frigid 9 degrees tonight. Tomorrow calls for a 40 percent chance of snow with a high of 21.
 
A 30 percent chance of rain and a high of 42 could wash it all away on Monday, but snow is back in the forecast again on Tuesday.

We've been waiting a long time for this weather. How are you enjoying the snow? Maybe Eldridge Park has your favorite sled hill, or maybe it's all about cross country skiing on the Prairie Path.

Is the snow making you miserable? We'd love to see a photographic representation of that, too.

Share your photos here by uploading them to this story. It so easy: Just click on "Upload Photos and Videos."

Stay warm and have fun!