First lady Michelle Obama spent part of her 47th birthday surrounded by her family and the students of Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington, D.C. Around 11:15 a.m., President Obama, Mrs. Obama, Malia and Sasha entered the school cafeteria and were greeted by a chorus of "Happy Birthday." Mrs. Obama's response, according to the pool report:
"All right let's get to work. This is embarrassing."
The "work" was a service project organized by the Greater DC Cares' Mentoring Matters Initiative in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. The first family joined students and mentors to paint murals around Hobson Middle School, including images of Dr. King, quotes from Maya Angelou, fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria (to encourage healthy eating) and college logos in classrooms.
In other news: Recapping the 2011 Golden Globes.
Sheryl Huggins Salomon is senior editor-at-large of The Root and a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based editorial consultant. Follow her on Twitter.