The Obama Girls: Meet Malia and Sasha Obama

On January 20, 2009, the White House will become home not only to America's first black president but to its youngest residents since Amy Carter moved in at age 9 in 1977. Those residents will be Malia and Sasha Obama.

Sure, we know they're cute, and we know they're getting a new puppy. But what else can we learn about these two young ladies?

Malia, 10, was born in 1998. According to Wikipedia.com, she is involved in soccer, dance, drama, piano and tennis. In an US Weekly article, her dad said, "She doesn't like to have a lot of fuss around her." Indeed, she does seem to be the more quiet and serious of the Obama girls. She and her dad read through the Harry Potter book series together, and are now reading the Twilight series.

The red silk dress Malia wore the night of her dad's victory, made by Biscotti, created an immediate sensation and sold out immediately, reports the Wall Street Journal. The dress was purchased at Nordstrom for $110. (In case you're interested, Biscotti states that they are hard at work producing more).

Malia seems excited by the prospect of moving to the White House. In an Access Hollywood interview, she said, "I enjoy decorating, so I get this whole new room to do whatever I want."

In contrast to Malia, Sasha, age 7, is the family clown. She was born in 2001 and is involved in gymnastics, tap, piano and tennis. She is the daughter usually seen mugging for the camera, trick-or-treating with dad, or otherwise just expressing the joy of being seven. "She's a ham!" Obama has said.

Both girls attend the University of Chicago Lab School, and will probably attend private school in Washington, D.C. as well. Sidwell Friends, the Maret School, and Georgetown Day School have been listed as possibilities by the Huffington Post.

Despite their famous father and their expensive private school, the girls are still expected to do their share. They are responsible for setting their alarms and making their beds, and receive $1 per week as an allowance, according to CNN.

They attend church with their parents, but not Sunday School, Michelle Obama told Good Housekeeping magazine. "We view weekends as family time, so if they're off somewhere part of the day, we're not together." She went on to say that they did take turns praying before dinner.

The secret service code names for the girls are Radiance (Malia) and Rosebud (Sasha).

Their lives are about to change in a big way, and they will spend at least the next four years living in what amounts to a fishbowl. Here's hoping that these girls, invariably described as "sweet", will enjoy their White House years.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasha_Obama#Malia_and_Sasha_Obama

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/names/celebrity/michelle-obama-interview

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/10/will-obama-kids-go-to-a-d_n_142739.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/us-election/dad-can-be-embarrassing-says-malia-obama/2008/07/08/1215282809168.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2008/11/06/first-daughter-malia-obama-fashion-trendsetter-in-the-making/