Egg-ceptional! Obama family hosts traditional Easter fun with 30000 friends at ... - Houston Chronicle (blog)

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Egg-ceptional! Obama family hosts traditional Easter fun with 30000 friends at ... - Houston Chronicle (blog) Apr 9th 2012, 21:47 1 of 20 | Share 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll Kids and parents were having a good time on the South Lawn Easter Monday, rolling eggs with the President himself. Show Caption Altogether more than 30,000 people got to participate in the traditional Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House Easter Monday. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The Easter Egg Roll event has changed a lot since Rutherford B. Hayes started the tradition in 1878, and the South Lawn was the arena for many activites Monday. But the actual egg roll competition is still an important part of the fun. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption Kids from all over the United States participated in the event and they were all wearing festive clothes to match the occasion. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption Children 12 years and under can participate in the egg roll, and some of the participants were really young. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The beautiful April weather was perfect for playing on the lawn. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The Easter Bunny was the first to be presented, but despite guessing and whispering in the crowd, the President wasn't hidden inside (much to the crowd's disappointment). (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption There was a pause in the egg rolling when Rachel Crow, famous for her appearance in the first season of the U.S. version of the television show The X Factor, sang the national anthem. (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption "Isn't it a great day for an egg roll?," Obama said while greeting the press. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The President was sporting a relaxed outfit without tie or jacket. (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama wore bright, colored clothes that lit up the lawn. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption After a brief speech, where the President introduced his wife as "the true powerhouse of the White House," the First Family joined the games on the lawn. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The commander in chief handled his job with poise while directing the egg rolling. (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The children participating in the games weren't the only ones having fun. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The President took over the whistle and jump-started a couple of rounds of egg rolling. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption Big and small media outlets from all over the world were covering the event. (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption Egg rolling is not always easy, and the President stepped in to help some of the youngest to get their egg over the finish line. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption In her remarks, Michelle Obama said that the President had joked about winning over three-year-olds in egg rolling, and that she hoped that he wouldn't – perhaps that was the reason he didn't participate in the competition. (Michelle Arrouas/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The President had a good time at the egg rolling court. (Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption After every round of egg rolling, the President posed with the children – and sometimes their parents too. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Show Caption The Easter Bunny was a prominent guest at the event. (Clara Linn Collins-Andersen/Houston Chronicle) Photo gallery by Michelle Arrouas and Gerd Margrete Tjeldflaat. ★ ★ ★ With an upcoming presidential election, international turmoil and an ever-struggling economy, President Barack Obama has plenty on his mind. But today he took some time off to play around on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate Easter Monday with the traditional Easter egg roll. After a short speech, where the president introduced his wife as "the true powerhouse of the White House," the first family joined the fun. The president used his experience as commander-in-chief to direct the egg rolling, apparently because Michelle Obama had forbidden him to compete. "Barack said that he has been looking forward to beat 3-year-olds in egg rolling. I've told him that I don't hope he will,' Michelle Obama said admonishingly in her short remarks. The president and the first family seemed to enjoy themselves, laughing through the activities. This year's Easter egg roll was the 134th of its kind. The tradition of letting kids into the South Lawn of the White House on Easter Monday was started by president Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. Since then, the event has grown bigger, and this year, more than 30,000 people from all of the 50 states attended the event in the president's backyard. The egg rolling was complemented by lots of activities that all promoted healthy and active living, all in accordance with the first lady's 'Let's Move!' initiative to deal with the problem of childhood obesity. Celebrity chefs were learning kids and their parents how to make healthy dishes, professional athletes were playing with the kids and there were obstacle courses and dancing and yoga lessons. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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