*IN FLORA LYIMO FASHION POLICE BLOG* My how they've grown since 2008! Obama pays tribute to 'smart and beautiful daughters' as they appear for first time in campaign"

 

 

 

Proud Dad" na Wasichana wake kwa mara ya kwanza ndani ya nyumba nyeupe" 2008"na watazidi kuwa huko miaka na miaka"God Bless!!

Growing up: The President's daughters Sasha and Malia have not been seen with him during this election campaign - this is in stark contrast to four years ago when they were often by his side. The girls, pictured left last night during the election victory speech, have clearly grown up since the same night four years ago, right

Delighted: Sasha, second left, and Malia, right, looked clearly thrilled when they appeared on stage last night with their mother and First Lady Michelle and their victorious father"

Change: The President's daughters have not only grown up from four years ago but also look more confident and self-assured in the limelight"

But following his election night victory speech in Chicago, Obama was joined on stage by the First Lady Michelle and his two daughters.
As the large crowd inside his campaign headquarters in Chicago cheered, Obama hugged his obviously delighted daughters.
The pair looked clearly thrilled and proud with their father's success.
In a moment of lightness in an otherwise gritty address, Obama thanked his wife and also paid tribute to Sasha and Malia.
 He said they were ‘two smart beautiful young women, just like their mother’. But if the girls were hoping that their father's election night success would soften him up to buy another pet, he disappointed them by saying: ‘one dog is probably enough’.
The Obamas embraced Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Janna, as well as a large number of other relatives and supporters, as Bruce Springsteen's anthem We Take Care of Our Own blared over the arena's speakers.
Both Sasha and Malia have clearly grown from the young, shy girls of four years ago. After four years in the White House, with their dad as President, their lives are no doubt unrecognisable from how they lived before.

Success: Obama is applauded by his proud family after his victory"

Proud: President Barack Obama waves as he walks on stage with his family in Chicago. Obama said his daughters are 'two smart beautiful young women, just like their mother'

Warning: If the girls were hoping that their father's election night success would soften him up to buy another pet, he disappointed them by saying: 'one dog is probably enough'

Beaming: Barack Obama puts his arm around Malia as he waves to supporters during his election night victory speech"

Pleased: The Obama family look on in delight as Vice President Joe Biden walks on stage"

Before last night, the girls were last seen in public on October 28 as they attended church in Washington D.C. with their father and godmother Kaye Wilson.
They also appeared at the Democratic National Convention on September 6 in North Carolina, where they waved from the stage as their father accepted the presidential nomination.
But during the campaign they have not been seen. This is despite Romney being televised surrounded by his grandchildren at the presidential debates - whereas Obama was always pictured being embraced at the end by the First Lady.
In a New Hampshire radio interview on election day, Obama spoke about how being a parent is not always easy.
A co-host’s daughter of 12, called Taylor, had prepared a question for Obama. She asked him: 'Mr President, my mom won't let me date until I'm 16. Do you allow your daughters to date yet?'
Obama said that Sasha, 11, his younger daughter, did not yet seem to be interested in dating. He said that for Malia, 14, now in high school, there hadn't been 'anything official' yet.
'I would say that you should talk it through with your parents and the time will be right where there's nothing wrong with a young man coming by, introducing himself, being very proper and polite and making sure that you guys get home at a reasonable time,' he said.

Rare appearance: The girls were last seen in public on October 28 as they attended church in Washington D.C. with their father and godmother Kaye Wilson"

Last outing: The girls have very much been kept out of the public eye - unlike four years ago. This was them pictured on October 28"

Happy: Apart from the October 28 outing, the President's daughters were last seen at the Democratic National Convention on September 6"

Funny: Malia, left, and Sasha, right, and First Lady Michelle listen as their father speaks at the Democratic National Convention

'But I'm going to leave that up to your mom to make sure that she sets the ground rules.'
Obama said that ‘being a parent's not always easy, Taylor’ and added: ‘I know you guys think you have it rough, but being a parent's not too easy, either. We worry about you guys so much because we love you so much.’
Barack has also previously spoken about his worries over his daughters as they grow up in the public eye. He told MTV last month that he was concerned about Malia going on Facebook because she was so well-known.
Obama said: 'I'm very keen on protecting her privacy. She can make her own decisions as she gets older, but right now, for security reasons, she does not have a Facebook page.'
In 2008, Obama's two daughters were by his side during a lot of the campaign, wearing T-shirts and being involved in events like packing boxes for overseas troops.
He drew criticism when he allowed his daughters to be interviewed by Access Hollywood four years ago. Malia and Sasha, ten and seven at the time, spoke on camera, in an interview which was then splashed across the TV networks.

United: Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney with his wife Ann and the rest of his family crowd onto the stage after conceding defeat. His adult children and grandchildren had often appeared at his side throughout the campaign

Together: Despite Obama's young daughters not been seen in public during the campaign, Mitt Romney was often pictured with his family. He is pictured watching his grandchildren play Jenga before the final presidential "

Touching: Obama greets one of Mitt Romney's grandchildren after the final presidential debate"

When asked about the decision, Obama said he was surprised by the attention the interview had garnered before adding: 'We wouldn’t do it again and we won’t be doing it again.'
Although their father could be attempting to shield his daughters from the viciousness of the presidential campaign, there could also be one simple answer - both Malia and Sasha are mid-way through term at the private Sidwell Friends School they attend in D.C.
In the Republican camp during the election campaign, Romney was almost constantly accompanied by members of his large family, including his wife of 42 years Ann, his five sons and their wives and many of his 18 grandchildren, who are often photographed on his campaign jet.
Republican Vice President nominee Paul Ryan has also had his children along for the ride in the last days of the campaign.
His ten-year-old daughter Liza, who is close in age to Sasha Obama, has been pictured striking a number of comic poses while her father appears at events in swing states.

Growing up in the public eye: One of the earliest pictures of the Obama family was taken in 2004 while he was in the running for the Senate"