23 sets of twin toddlers pose with Santa

ByJesse Kirsch WLS logo
Thursday, November 29, 2018
23 sets of twins pose with Santa
23 sets of twins piled into a giant group photo with Santa at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg on Thursday.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- Winter can be peaceful, until the blizzard hits.

This year's squall: 23 sets of twins piling into a giant group photo with Santa at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.

"Pretty chaotic right now," said Courtney Polite with her twin daughters tucked between her arms.

Polite was one of 23 moms braving the storm with their toddlers, hoping everyone would smile at the camera long enough for a great picture.

"We're sweating a little bit," said Maureeca Stefanski.

"You're never (going to) get all these kids to not be crying or all looking at the same time," added Polite, dampening expectations.

Yet somehow, the group snapped something close enough to perfect- perhaps because this isn't the group's first attempt. These moms regularly get together with the kids and without.

"We have mom nights out, which you can see is probably needed," laughed Ayrielle Walt, adding, "It's nice to have that support group to kind of talk through and help us navigate the craziness."

Last Christmas, they thought it'd be cute to take a group photo with Santa; it was a hit. So they returned for Easter and then for Santa again Thursday, with an even larger twins family to squeeze in.

"It's fun to see everybody and celebrate the holidays in a chaotic way," Walt said.

The moms plan to continue this tradition into the spring with another Easter photo. Since it's months away, hopefully they'll have a chance to catch their breath first!