WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama wants to be sneaky.
The first lady said the one thing she would change about her job would be to “sneak around” without the security and motorcades.
Mrs. Obama answered more than a dozen questions from eager children Thursday at the White House’s annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
She said her fantasy would be to walk out the front doors of the White House to go shop, have ice cream or stroll to Georgetown. But she acknowledged that security would fret about a solo excursion and thanked them for their hard work.
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“We could not do what we do if it weren’t for the Secret Service and the police officers,” she said. “We love them dearly, and they do a great job.”
But her favorite part of the job is meeting with children through her initiatives to help military families and promoting healthy eating and fitness.
“You guys are real honest. So you either, if they don’t like you, you know right away. It’s real clear,” she said, as the crowd giggled. “But you guys are open, and you’re curious.”
Mrs. Obama— wearing a peach and gold cardigan, blouse and pleated skirt— said meeting with children also gives her a chance to play, including jumping rope and Hula Hoop.
When asked how big the White House is, the children were in awe as the first lady told them there is a bowling alley and dental office on the lower level. She also revealed that as a child she wanted to become a pediatrician but decided to become a lawyer while she was in college.
About 200 children of executive office employees toured the mansion and met with the Park Service, Secret Service, White House pastry chefs and Council on Environmental Quality.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.