New first lady described as adept at multitasking

CHICAGO — Despite a grueling campaign schedule that took her from one end of the country to the other, Michelle Obama managed to maintain an equally hectic schedule in Chicago that included soccer, ballet and birthday parties for her two young daughters.

For Obama, a self-described "multitasker," life has been a balancing act between family and duty, and those who know her best said that will not change when she becomes first lady.

"She has incredible integrity. Whatever she strongly believes in, she puts everything into it. And she is very passionate about family," said Yvonne Davila, a former City Hall co-worker and friend for 18 years.

Like first lady Laura Bush, Obama has surrounded herself with a small circle of girlfriends — doctors, lawyers and businesswomen who not only provide a support system but also keep her grounded. And like Bush, who still takes yearly vacations to a national park with her girlfriends, Obama will likely maintain those close bonds when she moves into the White House.

During the presidential campaign, Obama and Davila kept their Saturday morning routine. Davila took Obama's 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, and her own 9-year-old daughter to dance class while Obama drove Malia, 10, and Davila's 10-year-old daughter to soccer. Afterward, they met for lunch and sometimes a movie.

"Like all of us, she juggles her job as a wife and mother, and she will take that with her to Washington," Davila said.

Throughout the campaign, Obama has stressed her commitment to her children and has used her experience as a wife and mother to connect with families across the country. She has said that as first lady she would provide a voice for working women and military families, in particular, ensuring that they receive adequate health care, mental health services and economic support.

"What I'm hearing around the country is that there are women who are struggling to keep their heads above water. And these issues transcend party and even socioeconomic status," Obama said recently on CNN's "Larry King Live." "We need to give those issues a voice because I think women need a different model, a template, ensuring that we're creating policies that actually make sense."

The Obamas will be the fourth family with children younger than 10 to occupy the White House. And like Rosalynn Carter, Jacqueline Kennedy, Frances Cleveland and Edith Roosevelt, she will have to balance her duties as first lady with raising young children.