Strollerderby : obama family

First Grandma Likes D.C. After All

Shannon LC Cate — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

In spite of her initial reluctance to move from her life-long home in Chicago, Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, has been living the good life in the capital. Though she still does quite a bit of heavy lifting when it comes to caring for the Obama girls--shuttling them to and from school most days, supervising homework, accompanying them to play dates--she has also been seen frequently in the president's box at the Kennedy Center, enjoying shows and meeting performers.

Mrs. Robinson likes to eat out around town, attend Michelle's luncheons, dinners and concerts, and sometimes hosts her old friends from Chicago. For the first time in her life, Mrs. Robinson doesn't have to cook or clean--unless she wants to. That seems only fair for a 71-year old devoted, hard-working grandmother who functions more as a third parent to her grandchildren than as the one who gets to do the spoiling.

She still hasn't decided how long she will stay in Washington, having originally agreed to come temporarily and help the Obama girls settle into their new life. But it may be hard to return to the old normal in Chicago. Right now, she doesn't get too much public attention when she's out and about in D.C., but given how much she looks like Michelle, and given how small Washington really is, she is bound to become known by the general public before too long. She may want out of the limelight. But there's also the chance that she'll decide she like being Grandma in Chief, and stays.

I'm rooting for her to stay. From what I can tell, she's an integral part of the Obama family and they'd be lost without her. And if the Obama family is lost, whither the Free World? Stay in the White House, Marian! Your country needs you.

Are Chores Important? The Obamas Say Yes.

Shannon LC Cate — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

One of the first things Michelle Obama did when she met the White House domestic staff was instruct them not to make her children's beds. She wants to make sure they learn that kind of responsibility for themselves. When I read that, my heart went out to the first parents.

As a mom who is usually just a bit stricter than my peer-moms, I feel for the Obamas, striving to make sure their kids don't learn to take the privileges of the White House for granted, as they grow through their tweens and into their early teens in that most rarified of homes. I have a hard time when kind waitresses offer my kids a free cookie or tell them (instead of me) what their drink options are, including more than "milk" or "water" (which are their drink options at home). I can't imagine the temptation of sneaking treats to the adorable Obama girls, or of spoiling them--just a little--by picking up their clothes off the floor before Grandma sees them and they get in trouble.

One thing the Obamas plan to do is to hold their kids accountable to the responsibilities they had to manage at home in Chicago:

"In the Obama White House, bedtime is still at 8 p.m. The girls still set their own alarm clocks and get themselves up for school in the morning. They make their own beds and clean their own rooms. And when the much-anticipated pet arrives, they will walk the dog and scoop its poop."

These basic guidelines seem just perfect for girls aged seven and ten. Our family is waiting to get a pet until our girls are old enough to take on the bulk of responsibility for its care, too. My girls, at 4 and almost 2, do the bulk of "cleaning up" (putting away toys) in their own rooms, with just a little supervision to help them stay on task. We're working on the "put away the first thing before taking out the next thing" rule, but it's tough to enforce. They both love to "help" with laundry (putting things in and out of the washer and dryer) but their help doubles the length of time it takes, so I only let them help once in a while.

What are the responsibilities of the children in your home? Or, if yours are truly too little to help, what are our plans when it comes to teaching your kids self-care and responsibility for maintaining personal and shared space?

Raising Kids in the White House: Routine You Can Believe In

Shannon LC Cate — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:30:00 GMT

According to the New York Times, the main way the Obama parents are keeping their girls' feet on the ground is by keeping their routine steady. Even when dad's flying around the country and mom is making appearances, grandma is home to pick up the slack and keep things running according to schedule.

I admit, when I think about how I'd handle something like raising kids in the White House (and yes, it's a fantastical stretch to think about it), I must concur that routine would be my primary tool for keeping everyone sane. Why? Because our routine keeps us from falling apart in our own, admittedly smaller, but still challenging challenges.

Since my kids were tiny babies, I've observed them settle into their own routines (beginning with eating and sleeping and pooping, moving onto playing actively versus enjoying quiet time as they get a little older) and then protected those routines by putting concrete walls around them. We have a schedule that is the same within maybe a 5% margin of flexibility that we follow almost every single day, almost no matter where we are. (Obviously on an airplane or in a multi-hour car trip, there has to be a bit more flex.)

I am a firm believer in using routines to give kids a sense of security, stability and confidence that they can understand their world and it will not spin out of control. I also find that keeping to a routine 99% of the time makes for an easier rebound when that routine is necessarily disrupted for an emergency or special occasion.

How about your family? Do you find routines helpful? Do you have a schedule? How rigidly do you hold onto it?

FOURTH Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:30:00 GMT

UPDATE 4: Yes, Virginia, Marvel did a fourth printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583. Amazing, really. To paraphrase Mary Jane Watson (no longer Parker, now that they retconned away her marriage to Peter), "Tiger, Marvel just hit the jackpot." The latest printing is now available in comic shops. (Tip: don't overpay for this thing on eBay; 4th printings are rarely, if ever, worth anything. Neither are second or thirds, frankly.)

Another thought on my kid and this comic -- he definitely wanted it, and he doesn't read the regular Spidey series. (Despite the fact that they dumbed it down when they rebooted the book, Amazing Spider-Man is still not for kids; he reads the Marvel Adventures version, however.) I think he was just curious to have it because it had Obama on the cover, and had Obama in an actual story. I would say that this proves that even kids are fascinated by our new prez, but up until now that wasn't the case for my son. While I think part of his interest of course stems from the fact that the President is in a Spider-Man comic book, I'm wondering if part of it is simply the fact that a real person showed up in the pages of a comic book. I doubt another famous person would generate the same level of excitement that Barack did but maybe Marvel should try this with other people. It's not unprecedented -- Superman fought Muhammad Ali, for example. That was REALLY gimmicky but so was the Obama/Spidey meeting.

So: Rush Limbaugh working with J. Jonah Jameson to expose Spiderman as a dirty rotten liberal? Captain Chesley of US Airways Flight 1549 fame (the one that he landed in the water) shows superheroes a thing or two about being a hero without powers? I've read worse comics, believe me. Anyone with other ideas, let us know in the comments.

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UPDATE 3: Demand for even the second printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583 was so high that Marvel is going back to press for a THIRD PRINTING of the comic book. For those of you who don't know much about comic book collecting, the third printing is rarely worth much money in the long run. (Neither is the second printing, actually.) In this case, people seem to just want this book. Because it has Obama on the cover. And inside, actually.

If anyone is curious, the 8-page story is mildly amusing and fine for kids to read. (Yes, I bought it. I even bought a second printing to give to my son. The first printing I'm saving. Yes. I'm nerdy. WhatEVER.) The main part of the book, which is part of this revamped, rebooted "Brand New Day" Spider-Man storyline, is really dumb and should not be read by anyone. Is it kid-friendly? Not really. There's nothing all that inappropriate, but it's all about Betty Brant and whether or not she really likes Peter Parker as more than a friend, and whether she sold out her principles by working at the new Daily Bugle, which is now called the DB! (yes, with the exclamation point)... I'm getting sleepy just typing this, it's so dull. So get the book for the kids if they want it, and tell them to skip to the back where the Obama story is. Trust me. That's the best part.

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UPDATE 2: This comic is sold out at MidtownComics.com, although there's a chance you can still get one if you go to the store. I already reserved my copy, so nyah-nyah. There will be a reprint. You're shocked, I know.

Original posts are below.

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UPDATE: here's a new image from the Spider-Man story that will feature an appearance by Barack Obama.

Via Marvel.com, which features an interview with Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker.

Original post, with an update about what my son said about this comic, follows below:

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Marvel Comics will release a special story featuring President-elect Barack Obama and everyone's favorite arachnid-powered superhero. (That's Spider-Man, in case you didn't know.)

According to Huffington Post, "The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas. Parker decides 'the future president's gonna need Spider-Man,' and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor. Obama thanks him with a fist-bump." Wow. Daring.

Earlier this year, both Obama and John McCain were the subject of biographies in comic book form (reviewed by yours truly right here). And Harry S. Truman published a propaganda-style graphical rendition of his life back in 1948. Neither of those funny books featured anyone with super-powers, however.

Barack Obama's enjoyment of comics has been mentioned before. In the announcement, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada referred to the incoming President as the "nerd in chief", and said that the story was Marvel's way of giving him a "shout-out back". With all due respect to Joe, I don't think Mr. Obama was offering up a "shout-out" when it was revealed that he used to collect comic books and that Spider-Man was his favorite character, but who knows.

In further proof of his potential nerdiness, Obama joked at the Al Smith dinner that was actually sent here from the planet Krypton by his father Jor-El to "save the planet Earth."

(Jor-El is Superman's father, and Krypton is the planet that he came from. I'm not going to bother with a link, since if you needed me to explain that to you, you don't really want to know. That's OK, by the way. Just saying.)

I think it's fine that the incoming President is going to appear in a comic book, even if comics aren't as important to kids as they used to be. Kids are still into superheroes, but there is much more competition for their time then there was when I was young(er).

While this comic could be pitched as a way to get kids interested in current events, it's really a collectible that will be snatched up by adults, who will place it in a mylar bag with an acid-free backing board and hope that it goes up in value someday. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. I'll be buying a copy just to put it in a bag, since "Spider-Man" is unreadable after they wiped out 20 years of continuity via a ridiculous bit of retconning where Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane no longer existed and he never revealed his secret identity. (Again, if you don't already know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to.) But it would be cooler if there were a kid-friendly book that featured the President-elect. Maybe something that actually discussed how government worked. "Mr. Spidey Goes To Washington." They could even do both. Since I buy comics for my son every week (and yes, for myself as well; you got a problem with that?), I wouldn't mind a book that addressed what was going on in the world – in a fun way – sneaking into the weekly stack.

HuffPo says, "The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99." It'll sell out, since kooks like me will buy it even if they don't want to read it. But if you get to your local comic shop early enough, you can probably snag a copy.

UPDATE: So my son comes home and tells me that he heard there was going to be a comic book with Barack Obama and Spider-Man. Could I please get it for him? What I said about kids not caring so much about comics, particularly this one, was clearly incorrect. I think this time that's a good thing.

Source: HuffPo

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Doing Homework On Lincoln's Desk

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There are many important questions our new President must face. But one of them is not in dispute – which First Daughter will get Lincoln's desk.

That would be Malia, who cheekily called dibs on the 16th President's writing surface back in November (after her dad won, of course). She told Poppa Obama that she wanted to sit there when she had a paper to write for school, "because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts."

Lest you think this plan was forgotten in the Inaugural hoopla, the New York Times confirmed it in a front-page article on January 20th:

Where in the White House is Malia likely to gather her thoughts when she has a tough school assignment? (At Lincoln’s desk where he penned the Gettysburg Address.)

No word on where Sasha will sit and gather her thoughts. Me, I did it at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes.

Source: NY Times, ABC

Image Source

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

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Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

VIDEO-Obama Bet Daughter She Will Freak When She Meets Nick Jonas

Brett Singer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I'm going to say it again. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? I hope so. Here we go:

President Obama seems like a good dad.

I know. Earth-shaking stuff, that. I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by our new President's fatherly behavior, but I am. One reason is that there seem to be many examples of said behavior available for public consumption.

Here's the latest one: Malia said that she would be calm and collected when meeting her crush, Nick Jonas. So Dad bet his daughter five dollars that she would not, in fact, be so calm and cool. Talking about the girls meeting their fave music act, the Prez says:

"That's big! Don't tell them at all. Particularly because I've got a bet with Malia because she's been talking about when she sees her Jonas Brother favorite ... what's his name? Nick ... when she sees Nick, she's going to be all sophisticated. And I said, 'Malia, I will bet you $5 that you will stammer and not have anything to say when you see Nick.' So she's all, 'No, no, I'm sure I'll say I'm a really big fan...' you know Malia, acting all sophisticated... 'and I really enjoy his music'. I said, you won't say that!...So we've got a $5 bet…I won't really take her money."

Here's video of the President telling someone this story:

So what's the big deal? First, it seems like he has a nice relationship with his daughters. A little friendly teasing goes a long way. Second, he knows who the Jonas Brothers are, but he doesn't know too much about them. Not knowing which one she has a crush on is a good thing in my opinion. So he's involved enough in his daughter's interests, but not TOO involved. Third, he's comfortable saying that he made a "bet" with her without worrying that someone will think he's promoting gambling. To me, that speak to a certain confidence that some politicians lack. Granted, this video was released well after the election was won but I imagine that there are a lot of pols who would never allow something this candid to be aired.

So much for that normal life thing, though. Most girls don't get to meet their rock star crushes in person.

No word on whether he knows the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin. If not, I'm sure Sasha and Malia will clue him in.

Source: HuffPo

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Babies Understand Presidential Material

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:03:00 GMT

This series of photos is so good that a comic strip artist couldn't have invented anything better.

If you haven't yet had the joy of finding these priceless pictures in your inbox, you're in for a real treat. In honor of our new president, I offer you this proof of babies' innate intelligence:

It's all right, little fella. The trauma is over.

Photos: Email without attribution; many are from Yes We Can Hold Babies

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Brett Singer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

At the end of an item in today's New York Times about the various choices for Presidential dog, there was this cute little family-oriented tidbit:

One family matter that appears to be going well is the Obama girls’ transition to their new school, Sidwell Friends.
“They seemed to thrive,” Mr. Obama said in the interview of their first week at the private school. “I’m trying to figure out why it is that they don’t seem to be fazed by anything.
“People think — you know, folks think I’m cool. They are a lot cooler than I am. They just don’t seem to be intimidated.”

In his case I think the President-elect was using the word cool in a fairly literal way – as in cucumber, cool as a, rather than James Dean cool. (Or even he-likes-comic-books cool.) I know I keep coming back to this idea, but I’m still surprised at how often I feel a connection to Barack Obama as a dad. I can't say that about most famous folks, much less a politician.

Do you think your kids adjust to change better than you do? Are they "cooler"?

Source: NYTimes

Image: NY Daily News

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The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Brett Singer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Sasha and Malia started school yesterday. Here's a photo:

Not to repeat myself, but the more I see of the Obamas as a family, the more I can relate to them. For me, that's unusual, since I rarely feel an affinity with the insanely rich and/or powerful. I certainly can't recall a time when I felt like I had something in common with a politician, much less a President of the United States.

Am I right? Are the Obamas as "normal" as they seem? By "normal" I don't mean "heterosexual with two kids", I mean "dealing with things that many of us deal with, like young, independent children who go to school." Both parents seem involved, more so than some families I know. It could all be an act, but if it is, it's a really good one, because I’m as cynical as they come and I'm convinced.

Either way, those kids really are cute.

Whether you voted for Obama or not – and I'd be especially curious to hear from anyone who didn't vote Democrat in the recent election – do you like what you see of the Obamas as parents?

Source: NY Daily News

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Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Brett Singer — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:30:00 GMT

On a recent trip to Hawaii, the Obama family "caused a commotion" at a mall.

No! Really? What next? Floor down? Ceiling up?

Reuters describes the event as "a surreal scene -- the president-elect, daughters Malia, 7, and Sasha, 10 and family friends eating at a table at the mall watched by a crowd of onlookers and surrounded by anxious-looking Secret Service agents."

What exactly is surreal about that? Maybe it's surreal for the Obamas, but you might think at this point that they were accustomed to the attention.

The President Elect "wants to maintain some degree of normal life for his daughters. He has also said he fears becoming isolated and losing touch with the world outside the White House 'bubble,'" according to Reuters.

I think this is an admirable idea. It is also, at best, completely unrealistic. How exactly can you call a life spent with multiple bodyguards "normal"? From now on, the Obama family is American royalty. Part of that is just because of the job Dad just got, but part of it is because the entire family has captured the American imagination. I praised Bill and Hillary Clinton for keeping the press away from Chelsea. But this is different. First of all, Chelsea was older, which made it easier to ask for her privacy. Second, it was a different time. As much as the Clinton campaign and administration was heavily televised, it was nothing like it is today. Think about it – there was no YouTube. Cable news was around, but not as prevalent as it is now. And most Americans didn't have Internet access, much less broadband with 24/7 streaming video. And four billion blogs. (Ahem.)

All that is not to say that Barack and Michelle Obama shouldn't do what they can to keep their kids as grounded as they can under the circumstances. But a normal life? Eating at a mall in peace? Come on. Not gonna happen.

Source/Image: Reuters

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Obama Name Suddenly Very Helpful For Speeding Tickets

Brett Singer — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

If your last name is Obama, you may start getting special treatment, even if you aren't related to the President-elect.

The Washington Post reports that 28-year-old DC resident Nicanor Obama was pulled over for speeding. But when the can't-drive-55 guy handed over his driver's license, the police officer told him, "Well, I'm going to let you go because you have the Obama name."

Obviously there are other folks who share last names with the famous. But as the Post puts it, "being asked whether you can sing 'My Way' or play 'Purple Haze' pales in comparison with 'Can you get my cousin pardoned?' or, more earnestly, 'Can you get me inauguration tickets?'" (19-year-old college freshman Denise Maye Obama gets asked that a lot.)

How many Obamas are out there? The Post says "there might be fewer than 20 Obama families in the United States, compared with more than 11,000 Clintons and 60,000 Bushes."

My last name never got me anything. Except for the occasional, "Singer! La-la-la!" when I was in kindergarten.

Source: Washington Post

Malia Obama Likes Her Parents' PDA

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:36:00 GMT

It’s an unspoken rule of teendom that parents kissing, holding hands, or making ga ga eyes is to be met with an emphatic, “Ew.” How many preteens do you know would openly admit that their parents’ public displays of affection make them feel good? Personally, I didn’t know any until just now.

The Huffinton Post dug up a clip from this summer’s Access Hollywood interview with the Obama family in which 10-year-old Malia Obama professes to like her parents’ famed PDA. When asked what romantic things she does for her husband, Michelle jokingly answered, “I take care of his kids” (with Barack agreeing that motherhood is “pretty romantic"), before going on to say that she thinks smalls affections go a long way—giving him a hug or kiss or sitting on his lap.

Malia eagerly interrupts to say that she likes to see her parents cuddling. "Kids like it when their parents are all...except sometimes when you get to be a teenager and people think it's embarrassing," she said. "I like it though. It makes me feel good."

In case you want to know what Malia feels so good about, the Huffington Post has also posted a slideshow of the best Obama PDA moments. Here are a couple of highlights:

Photos: Huffington Post

Obama is a "Mutt" – But Will The Obama Family Get One?

SunnyChanel — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:03:00 GMT

With Obama’s lighthearted line in his acceptance speech on Election night that his girls “earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House,” he launched a big old guess-fest of epic porportions. On pert near every major TV station, newspaper and countless blogs, there has been a stellar amount of speculation on what kind of dog the family would get. As MSNBC pundit said on the topic “people are obsessed with it.”

In Obama’s first post election press conference (which Madeline wrote about here), he said that the question of what kind of dog they’ll get is a “major issue” and he stated that there were two issues that are influencing their decision. One was that his daughter Malia is allergic, so they need to get a pet that is hypoallergenic. And he said that he has a preference for a ‘shelter’ dog, stating that “they are mutts like me”. Although the girls have expressed interest in a Goldendoodle, a Golden Retriever/ Poodle mix that Malia called an “optimal dog", Obama said they were also considering a Labradoodle, both of which are good fits for someone with dog allergies.

The decision is “a pressing issue in the Obama household” and apparently in the media as well. The public seems to have taken a vested interest in their decision. PETA says that getting a purebred would be “elitist.” The Best Friends Animal Society even got 50,000 signatures to try to persuade the Obama’s to get a shelter dog. What are other people advising about their choice?

Today Show: A pet expert said they shouldn’t get a puppy, they should get an adult dog so they know what kind of personality it has. They also said they should get some kind of small dog, since they family travels so much. A smaller dog will be easier to transport. They have an online poll and so far the Mutt is winning with over 100,000 votes.

People: The Dog Whisperer from People.com says that since they should have a medium energy dog they “could look for a rottweiler who is a medium level energy dog or a poodle who is a med level energy dog."

Jezebel: They did some research and came up with a list of pets available for adoption at shelters via Petfinder. Their recommendations are some really adorable and practical shelter choices.

American Kennel Club: During the summer they held a poll for people to share their choose for the campaigning Obamas. The winner? A poodle.

DailyKos: They recently held an online poll. Of the 12,000 votes the choice of ‘mutt’ got 44% with Retriever and Terrier as runner-ups.

Daily Show : They recommended, along with a couple of small shelter dogs, a cat that was pretending to be a dog.

Perez Hilton: A Goldendoodle owner himself, he hopes that “…Michelle and Malia both get their way and find a Goldendoodle at a shelter.”

Oh so many options. What kind of dog do you think they should get? And do you care?

The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Brett Singer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Remember when the Republicans were supposed to be the "family values" party? Personally, I never bought into it, but a lot of people did.

I wonder what those folks had to say when they saw the Obamas take the stage Tuesday night.

This isn't the first time we've had a President with a family, of course. Bill and Hillary Clinton had Chelsea, the Bushes had the twins, the Carters had Amy. According to The Independent, the Obama children, "will be the youngest children in the White House since nine-year-old Amy Carter in 1977."

The paper also says that the girls, "will face intense scrutiny as children of the first black American president." I guess that means that… you know, I don't even want to say what that means. I hope it's not true, although I'm sure it will be.

Watching the family take the stage last night I felt a certain parental kinship that I hadn't experienced with any other politician. Of course some of that is because of timing: I currently have two young children, so do they. Not that we're all in the same situation, of course. But when I first saw this video of Barack and Michelle interacting with their young'uns I have to admit that I felt like I was watching a normal family. By "normal" I mean just a family, any family, not one that is experiencing something so monumental I can only imagine it. The girls were busting mom and dad's chops. Michelle appeared to be in charge. Barack looked uncomfortable talking about clothes. The sisters were trying to one-up each other. There was something familiar about them. Family-familiar. Family-iliar, if I may awkwardly invent a word. (It's all about change, right?)

Obviously being President is not like being a writer, and raising two kids in the White House is not like raising them in Manhattan. (The White House might be easier in some ways.) But somehow I'm finding it much easier to look at the Obamas as a relatable American family, more so than with any past Presidential household. Besides, any man who takes time out of his Presidential acceptance speech to tell his daughters that he loves them, and that they'll be getting a puppy when they move to the White House, is someone I can respect – as a parent.

Does anyone else feel this family-iliar (sorry) connection with the First Family?

image: Chicago Tribune via Morning News

Video: Babies for Obama!