After the daytime inaugural festivities carried on more than an hour over schedule, the Obamas still had ten inaugural balls to attend. Granted, the tradition is for a president to simply come in, greet the guests for a few minutes, dance one dance with his wife, then perhaps give or participate in a toast. So, at tops, each ball appearance should theoretically take about ten to fifteen minutes. Still, it’s a really long night for an already exhausted first couple.

President Barack Obama chose to go with the white tie rather than the black, and the white really agrees with him. But guys clothes are boring, so let’s get to the good stuff. First Lady Michelle donned a white, ruffled gown that had one shoulder strap. The gown was designed by 26-year-old New York designer Jason Wu, a wunderkind whose designs tend towards chiffons with a soft palette.

First lady Michelle Obama chose a white chiffon one-shoulder gown for a series of balls celebrating the inauguration of her husband.

At the Neighborhood Ball at Washington’s Convention Center, President Barack Obama, said: “First of all, how good-looking is my wife?”

Her full-skirted dress had a strap across her right shoulder, a ruched bodice, fluffy appliques and sparkly beading. Mrs. Obama is wearing a Jason Wu gown this evening, which per tradition, will be donated to the Smithsonian.

The president and first lady were dropping in on 10 official balls Tuesday night, kicking up their heels after a day of pomp and ceremony in the nation’s capital.

From The Associated Press Hosted by Google

The first couple danced their first dance at The Neighborhood Ball to Beyonce’s version of the classic Etta James song “At Last”. President Obama looked more into the dance than the First Lady, who seemed a little shy and embarrassed, but I‘m starting to wonder if the dress was uncomfortable. For their second dance, at The Home States Ball, Michelle repeatedly had to stop dancing to adjust the hem of her dress.

Even though Michelle Obama has a great figure, and even though she could look great in a potato sack, I didn’t really care for the dress. I’d like to see her in more streamlined, clean looks that would accentuate her amazing figure. But I’m sure this young designer Jason Wu will get a lot of mileage out of dressing the First Lady for such an important event, and good for him.

Photo Credit: Newscom

There are so many things to say about the inauguration and our new president and first family, but this article is just going to focus on the fashion aspect of the inauguration. We got an early glimpse of Michelle Obama’s outfit this morning, as she attended church services with her husband in Washington. She wore a textured yellow-gold shift dress and long, matching jacket. The dress, I believe, had a built-in jeweled neckpiece, and when the sun hit the dress and jacket, the fabric gave off a sparkle that made me think there was some beading. While on the podium, Michelle donned lime green gloves that looked snazzier than it sounds. Life & Style had details on the Isabel Toledo dress and coat.

A friend of Isabel Toledo, who designed the yellow dress that incoming First Lady Michelle Obama wore on Inauguration Day, tells Life & Style that Michelle’s choice is a reflection of her great sense of style. “I wasn’t surprised at all that she [Michelle] chose Isabel Toledo,” Patricia Mears, deputy director of the Museum at NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology, tells Life & Style. “Mrs. Obama is an unusual woman with great fashion instincts and innate style. And she has always supported lesser-known designers like Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez and Isabel Toledo,” adds Mears, who has been friends with Toledo for 15 years.

“Isabel was very cognizant of two things when she designed this outfit. She knew all eyes would be on Michelle. And she knew that it would be very cold out. So she designed something that was very sophisticated and very warm. The upper part of the coat and the back of the sleeve are all lined with a pashmina lining for extra warmth around the torso. The fabric and color are also very sophisticated. There’s an intricate layering of lace laid over wool. And Isabel calls the color lemongrass, which I think is so elegant. I saw the original pattern a few weeks ago. At that time even Isabel didn’t know if Mrs. Obama would wear this design. Unlike other first ladies, Mrs. Obama didn’t choose a suit. She chose a sheath, something that skims the body. Isabel Toledo is considered the ultimate designer for designers. She calls herself a dressmaker, not a designer. She really looks at the artisanal craftsmanship of every single garment.”

“When Mrs. Obama wore Isabel’s jersey tunic and pants to a fundraiser in New York City, she didn’t work with Isabel. So Isabel was completely surprised. Isabel was really hoping that she’d wear something of hers for the inauguration. But she wanted to make sure it was a day outfit. Isabel is really down to earth, and she wanted this outfit to be something American women could actually wear. Isabel’s design shows Mrs. Obama truly wants to create a balance of the new and innovative with things that are classic and traditional. And that’s the ideal for every first lady. To have someone supporting this unique voice will really give American fashion a boost.”

[From Life & Style]

The Obama daughters weren’t seen until they arrived at the inaugural podium. J. Crew announced ahead of time that both girls would be wearing specially-designed J. Crew coats. Malia, the older daughter, looked absolutely beautiful in a bright blue-purple coat with a satin belt at the waist. Sasha wore a lovely pink coat with a complimenting pale orange scarf. Both girls wore their hair down and looked angelic.

Most of the guest were wearing drab and dark colors, but there were a few pops of brightness. Both Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi opted for shades of lavender, with Pelosi going for a beautiful violet, and Hillary going for a more “royal” purple. Jill Biden went with a striking red coat. Laura Bush looked a little boring in a double-breasted dove-gray suit and matching coat. Mary Robinson, Michelle’s mother, pulled on a bright red knit cap and scarf on the podium, and Craig Robinson (Michelle’s brother) looked like an average guy out walking his dog, just wearing a simple coat and striped scarf.

I can’t wait to see what everybody’s going to wear for the inaugural balls – that will be when we see all of the better fashions. But for now, I have to admit, even though I’m not that crazy about Michelle’s outfit, she was probably the best dressed woman there.

Last night Malia and Sasha Obama along with Joe Biden’s four granddaughters were front and center for the Kids’ Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert featured performances from the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Miley Cyrus, who sang a duet with her dad Billy Ray. The event sounds like a lot of fun, and the girls all seemed to really enjoy themselves.

The night before becoming America’s next first daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama got toasted by tweens. Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers were among the acts that performed at the Kids’ Inaugural Concert, an invitation-only event for military families and other area children at the Lincoln Memorial on Monday.

Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, offered small waves to the crowd before taking their seats in the front row with their J. Crew-clad mother, Michelle Obama, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s four granddaughters.

“What an amazing show,” Michelle Obama — who also signed autographs — told the crowd. “You kids are the future of this great nation. At this moment in our nation’s history, we wanted you to be able to join in this celebration.”

The crowd went wild for the Jonas Brothers. Both Malia and Sasha jumped up when the boys took the stage and started clapping. They danced along with their mom and Biden’s grandchildren. Sasha even took several steps ahead of Michelle to take a picture. She was working the camera as the boys, one by one, walked to the section of the stage nearest to them.

Another show highlight? Miley Cyrus. She dedicated her inspirational tune “The Climb” to the Obama daughters. “You girls must be awfully proud of your dad — and so am I,” said Cyrus, who sang with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, on stage. After her performance, an out-of-breath Cyrus got off stage to shake hands with the Obama girls.

[From Us Weekly]

Comedian George Lopez also performed, and the girls cracked up at his jokes. It sounds like this was a fun and entertaining way to get kids interested in politics a little bit and show them that they matter too. It’s not just something only adults can be interested in.

The Obama girls are going to get a lot of attention in the next 4-8 years, though obviously the president and first lady are going to do their best to keep their lives as normal as possible. But considering how drastically everything has changed, it’s nice that they can get some fun in there too.

The National Enquirer has a pretty cute story from the guy who went to the prom in 1982 with first lady elect Michelle Obama. A teaser article on Radar Online has an awesome photo of the night and promises to give the maybe-sordid details of what happened after the prom. Michelle didn’t even give her date a goodnight kiss, according to this guy, who says he can’t remember but is probably just too polite to talk about it. This is really a story about what a great family Michelle comes from and how she is remembered fondly by an ex boyfriend over 25 years later:

Back in 1982, David Upchurch escorted then 18 year-old Michelle Robinson to her prom at Whitney M. Young High School in Chicago…

When the Enquirer tracked him down at his modest home in Colorado Springs, CO, Upchurch claimed he’d ‘”pretty much forgotten” that night and couldn’t even recall if it ended with a kiss!

Upchurch is the first ex-boyfriend of Michelle’s to speak out. Today he works as a customer service representative and is a divorced father of three.

“I grew up with Michelle and her brother Craig. We were neighbors, and our families were close,” the 47-year-old told The Enquirer.

“After my father died, Michelle’s father took me under his wing. He helped me deal with my loss and said he’d always be there for me. I really appreciated that, and it made a big difference in my life.

“When Michelle was in the middle of her junior year, we began dating and continued to date for a year and a half – until she graduated.

“Michelle and I really liked each other, but you know how some high school boys are. We’re not ready to be responsible and we screw up. I was a screw-up, plain and simple! At that point, I just didn’t take my life or my future seriously.

“But Michelle knew what she wanted, and after graduation she was off to Princeton. I couldn’t stand in her way. I wished the best for Michelle because she’s always been a wonderful person.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, December 29, 2008]

Upchurch hasn’t been in contact with Michelle in many years. He calls her “special” and says “I cannot tell you how proud I am of her and her husband. I have never met Barack, but I have to say, he is a very lucky man.” His mother also remembers Michelle well, and tells the Enquirer “I wish she’d become my daughter-in-law.”

That story was sweet and it just goes to show how people can come in and out of your life but the memories are still there.

Here are some photos of Michelle and Barack Obama through the years. Thanks to Splash News. Radar Online has that great photo of Michelle at the prom in 1982.

President-elect Barack Obama is going to be under a lot of scrutiny for at least the next four years. And not just when it comes to the country, but also in terms of his parenting. While there have been many children in the White House, young kids have been a bit of a rarity. Obama has said he thinks he’s a “cool dad” to Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 – and it’s clear that he places a huge priority on his family.

The new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now, details the special bond between Obama and his daughters, and how the President-elect is the first leader who acts like a modern dad too: sharing parenting duties, attending school conferences and squeezing in the occasional date night with his wife, Michelle.

Case in point: before jetting off to the White House Monday, he kissed his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, goodbye and dropped them off at school. During the campaign, Michelle told Us: “He’s an incredible husband and father. Not sure if the world knows yet, but they should!”

Adds Michelle’s former colleague, Paul Schmitz: “The Obamas are true to their word when they say they’re going to balance work and family.” So how will they actually do that? Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin says it may be easier now than it was on the trail: “The family is more together here than during the campaign,” she tells Us.

So how will life for this once normal family from Chicago be changing? Earlier this week, Michelle began visiting potential schools for the girls ahead of the January 20 Inauguration. And even though they’ll have a chef whipping up their favorite treats – and a personal movie theater – in the White House, they’ll still be focusing on, “homework, chores, dance and soccer,” Michelle told Us before the election. “We have to put [children's] education…first,” Michelle has said.

“I think I’m a pretty cool dad,” Obama told Us earlier in the campaign.

[From Us Weekly]

The Huffington Post has a really great gallery of pictures of the Obamas having special family moments with their daughters. It really is great to have a father of young children in the White House – Obama serves as a role model not just professionally but also as a parent.

Michelle Obama will be featured in the upcoming issue of OK! Magazine. She’s getting just as much attention as her husband in terms of her parenting. It’s hard not to wonder how in the world they both manage to have such busy careers and still make enough time for their kids, but it’s clearly they’ve definitely figured out how to manage it.

In related news, the Obamas are also big sellers. The magazines that didn’t feature Obama last week (most notably OK!) sold a small fraction compared to the magazines that did. Us Weekly and People sold approximately one and two million issues respectively. That’s a pretty huge difference – one that OK! is obviously trying to make up for. They apparently thought Suri Cruise was a better bet than the next president of the United States.

Photos from Barack Obama’s flickr used under Creative Commons license. Credit: David Katz/Obama for America

President elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited current President George Bush and his wife Laura at the White House yesterday. Thousands of people waited at the gates of the President’s mansion to welcome Obama, who will take office on January 20.

Laura Bush gave Michelle a tour of the living quarters in the 132 room mansion, which is six stories and includes 35 bathrooms, and introduced her to the staff. Mrs. Bush told Entertainment Tonight that there is a lovely connected suite of two bedrooms which would be perfect for the first daughters, Sasha and Malia. Michelle has spoken positively of Laura Bush in the past and it is thought that the current and future first ladies would get along well.

Their husbands, on the other hand, have an understandable political rivalry and people thought there might be some awkward small talk involved in their meeting. According to Obama’s spokesperson they discussed the economy and foreign policy.

President Bush called Obama to congratulate him when it was known he was the victor on election night, and said in that oddly phrased way of his “What an awesome night for you, your family, and your supporters. Laura and I called to congratulate you and your good bride.”

Obama’s good bride Michelle said she would ask her mother, Michelle Robinson, to come with her family to the White House in January to help her granddaughters ease into their new lifestyle. The first grandmother is still deciding whether to take her up on the offer. As the Telegraph mentions in the quoted text below, it would be the first time that three generations have lived together in the White House.

There is also speculation over where Sasha and Malia will go to school and what kind of dog they’ll adopt as a pet. Their dad famously promised them a puppy, but said in a press conference on Friday when asked about it that the dog needs to be hypoallergenic because 10 year-old Malia has allergies, and they are also interested in a rescue dog. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, says that Obama’s quest for a hypoallergenic dog gives the wrong impression to the public because there is no such thing and even hairless dogs trigger allergies to some extent.

When the Obamas do finally move into the White House in January, they will be determined to take their normal family life with them – and that includes Michelle Obama’s mother, who has reluctantly agreed to leave her home on Chicago’s South Side and move to Washington. The nation’s new First Granny is Marian Robinson, 71, who regularly looked after Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, while their parents were campaigning. Remarkably, the Obamas have never had a paid nanny.
It is the first time in living memory that three generations of a presidential family have all moved to Washington, although Mrs Robinson has not yet decided whether to take rooms in the White House or live nearby. Mrs Obama “begged” her mother to come with them. “The girls are going to need her, as part of their sense of stability,” she told Newsweek. “And what is true for my mom is that she does anything for us and her grandkids.”

Concerns for the children’s transition are uppermost in Mrs Obama’s mind. She has already called Hillary Clinton – not just for advice on her new role but also on the challenges of bringing up children in the glare of the media spotlight. As President-Elect, Barack Obama continues to drive his girls to school, but once they get to Washington they will never travel anywhere without a secret service guard of at least five.

Sasha and Malia are currently students at the exclusive Chicago University Lab schools. Despite their liberal politics, the Obamas are expected to opt for another private establishment in Washington. The three under consideration are believed to be Georgetown Day School, Maret School and Sidwell Friends School, the Clintons’ choice for Chelsea. Wherever they go Sasha and Malia will have to get used to constant supervision. Jackie Kennedy was so concerned about Caroline going out to school that she brought other children in and installed a classroom in the White House.

Lack of freedom is something the family will increasingly have to get used to. Susan Ford, daughter of Gerald and Betty, said the trouble with the place was that you could never do anything for yourself. Drop a sweater and more than one staff member would fight you to pick it up. Gone are the days, it would seem, when arguments about leaving out the butter are heard in the Obama household. Gone, too, are the pleading requests from the girls to have a dog.

[From Telegraph.co.uk]

Do you remember when Obama reluctantly stepped forward with his mother in law after his victory rally at Grant Park? Joe Biden presented his 90 year-old mother and it was like Barack was obligated to show his mother in law. Obama is totally unflappable but I bet you that his MIL gets on his nerves. Not all husbands would willingly live with their MIL, but the White House is huge enough that it doesn’t seem like something Obama will need to worry about much if it does happen.

Photos are courtesy of Whitehouse.gov and were taken by Joyce N. Boghosian (Michelle Obama and Laura Bush seated), Chris Greenberg (header photo above), and Eric Draper (all other photos)

She’s not even the First Lady yet, and already Michelle Obama’s wardrobe has been under more scrutiny than Hilary Clinton’s pantsuits – thought not quite as bashed as a certain VP candidate’s $150,000 wardrobe. Fashionistas have already picked apart the red and black dress Michelle wore on election night – and now Project Runway contestants from past seasons are being challenged by The Daily Beast to design a dress for the First Lady in waiting – using some bizarre materials.

With the race finally decided, and the Obamas packing for Washington, there’s just one pressing question left on the national agenda: What should Michelle wear to the Inaugural Ball? Throughout the rigorous campaign, Michelle demonstrated a remarkable poise. Whether facing questions from craggy Larry King or the squawking of The View, it seemed she could utter no false word, no awkward statement. Let’s hope the same goes for her wardrobe.
To help dream up the answer for America’s new fashion-forward first lady, we enlisted some of our favorite Project Runway designers to create Inaugural Ball gowns at once stylish, thrifty, and patriotic. But in keeping with the show’s premise, they didn’t get to skip off to Mood to buy their fabric. For this challenge, they were only allowed to use Laura Bush’s 2005 Inaugural Ball dress, to be chopped up and repurposed, à la Pretty in Pink; an American flag; burlap potato sacks; and $10 worth of trims of their choice.

[From The Daily Beast]

Yikes! I’d probably get voted off if that’s what I had to work with, but the designers definitely rose to the challenge. Competitors included season one winner Jay McCarroll, season one finalist Austin Scarlett, season three finalist Mychael Knight, and one of my favorites, season four’s drag queen extraordinaire Chris March, as well as last season winner Leeann Marshall. The designs were judged by Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys department stores and a frequent talking head on shows like VH1′s “I Love the 80s.” Here’s a a gallery of the designs some of them lovely, some of them downright kooky.

Barack Obama on the beach with his family in December, 2006. Credit: #99/Fame Pictures

Tyra Banks has an upcoming interview in Harper’s Bazaar in which she talks about her admiration and hope for presumptive Democratic candidate for US President, Barack Obama, and his wife, Michelle. We reported last week that Banks would dress up as Michelle Obama for the cover of the magazine. She does appear as a preppy looking Michelle posing by a lookalike Barack in the Oval Office, but that photo is in the inside of the magazine, not the cover. Banks gives a lot of stupid quotes about Obama in the interview, advance details of which were printed in Star Magazine. You have to wonder if her endorsement is any help to the candidate whatsoever. She does have an inexplicable fan base I guess, as her show is popular enough:

Tyra Banks… would love to score Michelle Obama as a guest on The Tyra Banks Show! The supermodel-turned-TV titan is so fascinated by Mrs. Barack Obama that she was thrilled when Harper’s Bazaar tapped her to pose as the Democratic First Lady hopeful for its September issue, on newsstands Aug. 19. “She’s got that direct-eye-contact, truly connecting thing,” says Tyra, who’s met Michelle before. “[She is] so warm and gracious.”

“With Barack Obama, his becoming President is them becoming President, because Michelle was there from the beginning,” Tyra tells Harper’s Bazaar. “Without Michelle, he wouldn’tbe there.” What kind of First Lady would Tyra be, given the chance? “I’d wear a V-neck shift and a two-inch heel. Even if the President were taller, I would keep them low. Otherwise it gets a little too sexy,” she says. As for hair, Tyra jokes that her biggest dilemma would be “to weave or not to weave.” And her Secret Service acronym? “KMFA: Kiss My Fat Ass.”

But all joking aside, Tyra says she’d stand by her man. “In the end, the First Lady should be her man’s rock and his boulder and his mountain. And she should be calling about 50 percent of the shots!”

“When Barack won the nomination, I just started bawling,” confesses Tyra. “I started calling all these people, and everybody was talking to me like I was crazy. They’re like, ‘Well, he hasn’t won yet,’ but I’m like, ‘Yes, he has, because he’s gotten this far.’ I think he gives everybody so much hope.

“What gives me tears is if Barack Obama wins, kids are going to say a black man can be President too.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, August 18, 2008]

Michelle Obama would do well to distance herself from Tyra Banks and say she’s too busy to appear on that tabloid talkshow. She probably knows better than to appear on Tyra’s show. At least Bazaar didn’t put the Tyra as Michelle photo on the cover of the magazine, but the stunt certainly got them enough publicity anyway.

Michelle has said that she doesn’t get involved in every policy decision for Barack. She said that “I am not going to realistically be the policy expert on every opinion and position that Barack has because I don’t have the time to do it, quite frankly. And I have to be okay with that.” In another interview she said “My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mom-in-chief” to their two daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Tyra is not doing her any favors by declaring Michelle should be calling 1/2 the shots if her husband becomes President. People vote for a candidate, not his wife, and there’s already some wariness around Michelle because she’s an accomplished woman. It just seems like some of these celebrities and their half-baked statements are not helping Obama at all.

I’ll stop with all the political news today, but it seems like it’s really creeping into the celebrity realm. If it gives me an excuse to publish more shirtless pics of guys I’m on it.

Here’s Obama shirtless in Hawaii on 12/21/06. I just started subscribing to Fame Pictures and was excited to see they have those exclusive Obama beach shots. He looks a lot better in most of them than the one that was the most popular.

Michelle Obama is the 44 year-old wife of the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. She has degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law School and is a working mom who has raised two daughters. She grew up on the South side of Chicago, where her mom was a secretary and her dad worked for the water company. She’s worked as an associate dean at the University of Chicago and as VP for community affairs for The University of Chicago Hospitals. Michelle says that her children are a priority and that she’s trying to raise them with as much normalcy as possible given her family’s schedule as Barack runs for president. She’s been married to Barack Obama, her first husband, for 16 years.

Tyra Banks is a 34 year-old model, talk show host and reality show producer who grew up in LA, has never been married, has no children, and focused on her modeling career instead of going to college. Banks enjoys talking about herself all the time, humiliating guests on her talk show under false pretenses, and staging publicity stunts disguised as female empowerment rituals. She once pretended to be a homeless person for a day and then claimed to understand what it was like for people in that situation.

Michelle Obama dresses well, favoring preppy clothing, and is fit and attractive. She’s received a lot of attention for her smart appearance and straightforward manner, and while some have criticized her for her matter of fact demeanor she’s gracious and well spoken.

Someone at Harpers Bazaar thought it was a good idea to dress Tyra Banks as Michelle Obama and feature her on the cover of the magazine, maybe in a misguided attempt to show how influential Michelle’s style and persona are. If I were Michelle Obama, I would find this almost as insulting as that stupid New Yorker cover depicting her and her husband in Muslim garb.

TYRA Banks – the mastermind of gimmicks – is at it again. Banks – who once had her breasts examined on TV to show everybody they were “real” – is now dressing up as Michelle Obama for the September cover of Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s a full makeover,” said one spy. “You know how Tyra likes to do that stuff. And she’ll get a lot of press off it.” A rep for Banks didn’t return calls.

[From The NY Post]

I hope this isn’t true or they realize it’s a dumb idea to feature Tyra as Michelle on the cover. Why don’t they just call up Michelle Obama and get her to pose for photos and grant an interview? You would think she would sell more covers than Tyra pulling another stupid stunt in which she tries to assume depth by changing her appearance. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Michelle at first, but after I saw her onThe View and read a few interviews I like her and think she’ll make a great first lady. She doesn’t seem to deserve most of the ire that’s lobbed at her while Tyra could be brought down quite a few pegs instead of being groomed to imitate a woman with more grace and integrity than she could ever hope to have. Maybe that’s the point of the whole cover though, and we’ll have to see if Tyra is covertly mocked.

Michelle Obama is shown giving the keynote address at the ‘Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala’ in NY on 6/26/08. Credit: Anthony Dixon / WENN. Tyra Banks is shown at the Daytime Emmy Awards on 6/20/08. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame Pictures

Michelle Obama gave a cute interview with People magazine as part of their recent cover story on her husband, democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Michelle talked about raising their two young daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, keeping balance in her life, and how she still gets star struck.

When you think about the future for your children, what do you worry about?
Michelle: There are the small worries, micro-worries, about whether we’re doing all we can to let them be fully themselves, trying to make sure they have the space to be who they are and that they feel loved and supported. Then, there’s the macro worry about, ‘Okay, if we do our jobs and they turn out well as individuals, what kind of world are they going to be in?’

Do you ever have a “pinch me” feeling about all of this?
Michelle: Oh, yeah. I mean, we’re still Michelle and Barack, so meeting Bill Cosby, it’s like (gasp!), ‘We LOVE you, Bill Cosby! What do you mean you’re honored to meet me? You’ve got to be nuts. You’re Bill Cosby! C’mon, now.’

Another friend of yours told me about you and Barack slipping away for date nights on the campaign trail.
Michelle: We were in this stadium and the staffers were like, ‘You guys are going to have a date night.’ They had set up a little room in the stadium with tablecloths and candles, and people came in and served, but we had, like, 10 minutes to eat. That was just squeezing it in, but it was fun, it was cute. You don’t try to have a romantic [time] at the stadium. Our romantic [time] is almost every Saturday night or Friday night, if he’s home. We spend the day with the girls doing girls’ stuff and that’s a family. Then we have date night, and the girls like it. As parents, you realize they do notice this stuff and it matters. You’re worried about taking time away from the kids to be with each other when, in their minds, that’s a good thing. It’s like, ‘Yeah, Mommy and Daddy, go! Go have dinner; it’s so cute!’ and that makes me feel like, ‘Okay, I don’t feel as bad that, after spending a day together, then we went and had a nice dinner while you had hamburgers with Grandma.’

[From People]

Michelle also says she isn’t involved in policy because she can’t give it her all. She definitely strikes me as a type-a personality; and says she feels the need to give 120%. Obama knows she’s smart and capable enough that if she could only give 70% of herself to it she’d still do a pretty good job in terms of performance, but it wouldn’t feel good to do it because it wouldn’t be her absolute best.

Considering the massive amount of upheaval that must be going on in their daughter’s lives, it sounds like the Obamas have done a really good job of keeping things as normal as possible. And they seem to have a really down-to-earth and responsible parenting style. They don’t give the girls birthday presents because they get so many presents from other people – and essentially the party is their parents’ present. The girls also get a $1 a week allowance for their chores. Something tells me that may go up a little bit with inflation – and there are probably more chores in the White House.

Here’s Halle Berry wearing her “Barack The Vote” t-shirt in Century City yesterday. Images thanks to Fame.