Michelle Obama Talks Family in 'Vogue'
First Lady Michelle Obama appears on the new cover of Vogue and opens up about settling into another term with her husband Barack Obama and about what she says is her biggest priority -- maintaining a happy and tight-knit family.
"Our job is, first and foremost, to make sure our family is whole," Obama reveals in her Vogue cover story. "You know, we have small kids; they're growing every day. But I think we were both pretty straightforward when we said, 'Our number-one priority is making sure that our family is whole.'"
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While the 49-year-old First Lady acknowledges that life in the White House gets frantic, she said she always strives to focus on the real priorities. "The stresses and the pressures of this job are so real that when you get a minute, you want to give that extra energy to your fourteen- and eleven-year-old."
At this point in the interview, President Obama interjects, "Although -- as I joked at a press conference, now that they want less time with us, who knows? Maybe you'll see us out in the clubs." His wife adds to the tongue-in-cheek scenario: "Saturday night! The kids are out with their friends. Let's go party!
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The 51-year-old leader of the free world then compliments his wife for setting such high family standards. "First and foremost, Michelle thinks about the girls. And pretty much everything else from Michelle's perspective right now is secondary. And rightly so. She is a great mom." He also reveals that the First Lady is also good at keeping him in check. "She's basically managing me quite effectively -- that's what it comes down to."
For her part, Michelle Obama said the president's "calmness" has always been a consistent part of his character that she admires. "Which is why I think he is uniquely suited for this challenge -- because there is a steadiness," she says, adding that she is "borrowing" some of his patience and calm.
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"I've learned from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road... to do more breathing in and just going with it. I'm learning that every day."