First Family: Life in the White House

First family goes bowling, plays basketball at White House

In his Sunday interview with Matt Lauer, the president described how the first family is relaxing in the White House:

One of the first things the Obamas did as a family was to check out the one-lane bowling alley in the White House's basement. "The bowling alley doesn't seem to be improving my game," Obama told Lauer. "I wanted to use the bumpers, but Michelle [said] that's only for the kids."

He added that they've also played games of Horse [H-O-R-S-E] on the White House basketball court, and that he's looking forward to trying his hand at horseshoes on the pitch on the White House lawn.

Time with the family is vital to Obama as he handles the pressures of trying to lead the U.S. out of its economic turmoil and grappling with decisions involving U.S. troops battling in two different countries. But Obama told Lauer that when it comes to Sasha and Malia, he never had much worry about how they would adjust.

"You know, I think that we are going to be OK," he said. "Malia is 10, so three years from now she is 13 -- who knows what happens to teenagers?

"But if there is a pair of kids who can handle this weird fishbowl, it's those two. Nobody's cooler than my two girls. They seem to take whatever comes with happiness and steadiness."

Malia, Sasha joining clubs, basketball team at Sidwell

President Obama spoke about his family's life in the White House during Matt Lauer's pre-Super Bowl interview:

LAUER: How they doing?

OBAMA: You know, they -- I said this I think in an earlier interview. People think I'm cool. Nobody's cooler than my two girls. They just seem to take whatever comes with, you know -- happiness and -- steadiness. And they're loving school. They're making friends. In fact, they've got a -- they've got some friends from school over -- today and -- they've already joined some clubs. And Sasha, you know -- I think maybe to endear -- myself to her, she -- she decided she wanted to join a basketball team. So -- what more could I want?

LAUER: Are you getting to take part in some of the routines? So I was thinking, you know, you've been on the road basically for two years, although you got home a lot.

OBAMA: Right.

LAUER: Now you're all under the same roof basically for 12 days. Are you there for breakfast? Do you -- do you get to read them a story at night, tuck them in bed? How's it going?

OBAMA: It's the best deal -- of -- of this whole thing is it turns out I've got this nice home office. And -- at the end of the day, yeah, I can come home, even if I've got more work to do, I can have dinner with them. I can help them with their homework. I can tuck them in. If I've gotta go back to the office, I can. But -- I'm seeing them now more than anytime in the last two years. And -- and that's been great for the whole family.

Related:

• What going to school at Sidwell is really like (Page Six Magazine)
• Have Obamas figured out how to get kids to make their beds? (The Sun News)

Matt Lauer wants to watch the Super Bowl with the first family

Entertainment Tonight recaps the "Today" show host's appearance on Conan O'Brien, and describes how Matt Lauer hopes to turn his Sunday morning pre-Super Bowl interview with the president into an invitation to watch the game together:

"I was thinking of going to Sasha and Malia and saying I really have nowhere else to go, and I don't want to be on the plane again as the kickoff airs," Lauer jokes to Conan, and goes on to explain how he would bring the first family refreshments as a housewarming gift; "I've got pigs in a blanket. I can stay!"

Lauer will sit down with President Obama an hour before kick-off during NBC's Super Bowl pre-game show, the rest of the interview will air on the "Today" show Monday morning on NBC