Michelle Obama might be the first person to describe a grueling presidential campaign as time that brought the family closer together.

At 45, she has been a lawyer, head of a job training program, and the liaison between a hospital and its community. But in the White House, she says, her first duty will be as "mom in chief."

Her husband calls her "the real star of the Obama family."

When Barack Obama decided to run for president, she was the first voter he had to convince. She worried about the children and his safety. But, she said, she realized that he was the kind of person she wanted as president.

When she started stumping in 2007, the campaign made it known that she did not spend more than one night away from her children, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. She went on daytime chatfest "The View" and talked about pantyhose, she danced with Ellen DeGeneres, and she deftly sparred with late-night comedian Stephen Colbert.

"How many silver spoons were you born with?" he asked.

"We had four spoons," she shot back. "Then my father got a raise at the plant, and we had five spoons."

Michelle Robinson was born on Chicago's South Side. Her father worked at a city water plant. Her mother was at home, raising Michelle and her older brother, Craig.

Michelle Obama sees an upside to the move to the White House.

"We get to be together under the one roof — having dinners together," she told "60 Minutes."

"I envision the kids coming home from school and being able to run across the way to the Oval Office and see their dad before they start their homework. ... And that gives me reason to be excited."