Ten sets of twins under the age of 2 descended on Santa Claus to create a very special and festive Christmas photo.
“He said that was the most kids he had ever had sit on his lap at one time,” one of the moms, Dee Knoll, said.
The moms, all from Illinois, told InsideEdition.com they were on a playdate at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg on Nov. 27 when they spotted St. Nick.
“We had the idea of, ‘Let’s get everybody on Santa’s lap,'” Knoll said. “And we just gave it a shot.”
Santa was game, too.
“I think he was pretty impressed that we were all there,” said Becky Raz, mom to 16-month-old Ava and Gracyn.
Unsurprisingly, it was “very busy” and “very chaotic,” Knoll said. “Usually if we get pictures of them where half of them are crying or screaming — that’s our picture. That’s just real life.”
What came out was a photo of epic proportions — smiles, tears and all.
“We had mostly everybody looking at the camera!” she said.
The moms are part of a group they call the “Chicago Twin Moms.” They first met with the help of online groups and word of mouth, and bonded over their shared experiences as parents to young twins.
“As we got together, we sort of added people,” said Stacy Kifer, mom to 16-month-old Kaleb and Kobe. Friends would tell them, “I know this twin mom, I know that twin mom,” she added. “None of us knew each other in real life until we had our twins.”
Every month or so, they schedule a play date of epic proportions. There have been family barbecues, a Halloween party – “We got the dads involved with that.”
Next year, the group is planning a visit the Easter Bunny.
“If you’re a twin parent, it’s just awesome to have a support system,” said Knoll, the mother of 16-month-old Meadow and Grace. “I highly recommend finding other people you can relate with, and just someone that can help you along the way. Our kids now have friends for life. We have friends for life.”
Now there’s a new holiday tradition for this growing group of moms: Taking a photo with Santa.
“I think it’s something we’re going to replicate every year,” Kifer said. “Watch the kids grow — be kind of a fun tradition,”
“Maybe eventually we can get them to sit there without the parents,” Knoll added. “That might be a goal for next year.”
