The official portrait of the first family is in.

There’s Sasha, the youngest at 8 years old, casually draping her arm over the shoulder of the president of the United States.

Older sister Malia embraces her mom, first lady Michelle Obama, as they all sit for their first official first family portrait in the Green Room at the White House on Sept. 1.

It is the work of portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz, known for some of the most famous celebrity photographs of our time — Demi Moore pregnant and nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, and a nude John Lennon curled around Yoko Ono for the cover of Rolling Stone taken on the day of Lennon’s death.

But back to the first family’s portrait. Hold on, isn’t someone missing? Where’s Bo, the first dog? Is he already in the dog house?

“Bo didn’t make the cut,” the first lady’s spokeswoman tells us with a laugh. “He was upstairs at home.”

Maybe he hasn’t learned to say cheese yet…

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Photo credit: White House photo of first family portrait, Reuters/Larry Downing photo of Bo

President Barack Obama, who is surrounded by women at home - wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia – on Wednesday declared Girl Power a priority for the federal government.

In creating the White House Council on Women and Girls, which will include members of his Cabinet, Obama said he wanted to make sure that women and girls were treated fairly in all matters of public policy.

“We have many of those Cabinet members here. Some of the men showed up — we put them in the second row,” Obama said to laughter at an event to sign the executive order creating the council.

“I sign this order not just as a president, but as a son, a grandson, a husband, and a father, because growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others,” he said.

“But I also saw how she struggled to raise me and my sister on her own, worrying about how she’d pay the bills and educate herself and provide for us.”

The president said the first lady was “the rock of the Obama family” in juggling work and parenting.

“But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls.  It’s a feeling that I share every day,” Obama said.

“In so many ways, the stories of the women in my life reflect the broader story of women in this country — a story of both unyielding progress and also untapped potential.”

He also gave a nod to the woman he beat for the Democratic nomination for president, Hillary Clinton, who is now his Secretary of State, and to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Obama follows his family off Marine One)

In the White House, it’s tradition for the outgoing president to leave a note for his successor.

This year, President George W. Bush’s twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, decided to leave their own letter for President Barack Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia.

Entitled “Playing House in the White House,” the letter is full of the Bush daughters’ memories of first coming to the White House when they were 7 years old when their grandfather - George H.W. Bush - was sworn in as president.

“Sasha and Malia, here is some advice to you from two sisters who have stood where you will stand and who have lived where you will live,” Barbara and Jenna said in the letter, which they read aloud on NBC’s “Today Show”.

“Surround yourselves with loyal friends. They’ll protect and calm you and join in on some of the fun and appreciate the history.”

Knowing that Obama has promised his daughters a puppy, the Bush twins talked about the fun of having a pet in the White House. “Cherish your animals because sometimes you’ll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide.”

Noting that “it isn’t always easy being a member of the club you are about to join”, the twins urged the Obama girls to have some fun. They even offered a few tips.

“Slide down the banister of the solarium. Go to T-ball games, have swimming parties and play sardines on the White House lawn.”

“Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play.”

“Go to anything and everything you possibly can.”

“Sasha and Malia, it is your turn now to fill the White House with laughter.”

But most of all, the Bush twins urged Sasha and Malia to remember that though their father is the president, he is most importantly their dad.

“Here is our most important piece of advice: Remember who your dad really is.”

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Photo credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque (Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager leave Obama’s inaguration); Reuters/Jim Young (Malia and Sasha Obama at the inagauguration)

 CHICAGO - Pay attention, you puppy-loving kids. The future president of the United States says if you want a dog, you have to be able to take care of it. That includes cleaning up the, er, poop.

Sitting on a chair at an elementary school in front of a cross-legged group of children ranging from about 6 to 9 years old, Barack Obama told them how he had promised his young daughters Sasha and Malia that they could get a dog to bring to the White House.

“They’ve been asking for a dog for years now,” said Obama, adding that he wanted to make sure the girls were old enough to take care of a pet before getting them one.

“You’ve got to feed your dog, you’ve got to walk your dog,” he said. “And if they do their business, if they’ve got some poop, you’ve got to make sure you don’t just leave it there.”

“I want to make sure that my kids can take care of their dogs properly. But I think they’re old enough now.”

Obama then asked for a show of hands of kids who had dogs.

“Do you walk your dogs?” he asked. “Okay.”

-Picture credit: Reuters/Jeff Haynes (Obama talks to Chicago schoolchildren)