Obama girls visit their future White House home

Barack Obama’s two young daughters were due at the White House Tuesday, First Lady Laura Bush’s spokeswoman said, for what would be the first visit to their future home since their father’s election as US president.

Malia Obama, 10, and her sister Sasha, 7, were expected to visit their future residence Tuesday along with their mother, Michelle, said Sally McDonough, spokeswoman for Laura Bush.

The White House said that the girls’ maternal grandmother, Marian Robinson, also would be present. Laura Bush invited Michelle Obama to return to the White House with her girls following the two women’s earlier this month, McDonough added.

According to news reports, the two girls will have the chance to see their future bedrooms, an important concern when their parents visited the White House last week.

In an interview this week with the “60 Minutes” CBS television program Sunday night, Michelle Obama spoke of the family’s move to the White House as a chance to regroup following the rigors of the campaign.

“And now, we get to be together under the one roof, having dinners together. And, you know, I envision the kids coming home from school and being able to run across the way to the Oval Office and see their dad before they start their homework. And having breakfast. And he’ll be there to tuck them in at night,” she said.

Michelle Obama repeatedly has said that she will focus first and foremost on her daughters’ well-being while in the White House.

“The primary focus for the first year will be making sure that the kids make it through the transition,” she explained.

“Michelle and I have talked about this a lot. How do we just maintain that precious normalcy in our two girls?,” Barack Obama added.

“I think one of our highest priorities, over the next four years, is retaining that. If at the end of four years, just from a personal standpoint, we can say they are who they are … I think we’re going to feel pretty good.”

AFP