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)