Former First Lady Michelle Obama sat down for a virtual interview with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday and revealed that, like many families, the novelty of being at home together during the pandemic has worn off.
“I think first our kids got a little sick of us … which was fine, ’cause we were pretty much sick of them,” she said.
“And now the kids are back in Zoom land with classes. They’re doing it remotely,” she continued. “And they’re no longer thrilled about being with us.”
Mrs. Obama told O’Brien that the family moved out to their Martha’s Vineyard compound this summer and that they are still there. given that the house “has more room to roam around.”
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She said that in the early days of quarantine, the family kept busy.
“We were being all organized, and we would spend the days apart doing our respective work. The girls were still in classes in the spring, and so we would be working and then doing a little exercise, and then come together in the evenings,” she explained. “And we would have these activities — we would have cocktails, and then we would work puzzles and play games.”
“Barack taught the girls how to play spades,” Mrs. Obama said. “We actually had some organized things — like we had an art exhibit day, where we all went off and did like watercolor paintings, and then we showed it.”
But as the coronavirus pandemic has stretched into nearly the seventh month, like most Americans, the Obamas are growing weary of spending so much time together.
She said that both Sasha and Malia are both “itching” to get back to their respective campuses, Harvard University and the University of Michigan. However, Obama said, “it’s not quite safe yet.”
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She said that the former president spent most of the summer completing his book, A Promised Land, about his time in the White House. The book, which is set for a November release, tops 768 pages and is the first of two volumes of memoirs.
Mrs. Obama also surprised some of the volunteers for her When We All Vote campaign. She told them that the work they are doing is “important,” adding, “Keep working hard, please.”
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