The leaves are turning, the air is crisper, and my girls are completely wrapped up in their preparations for Halloween. Yep, it’s definitely fall. Malia and Sasha spent hours this weekend putting the finishing touches on their costumes. Then they paraded around with their friends at the Halloween party we hosted on Saturday night. Malia was what she calls an “evil fairy,” and Sasha was (I can hardly believe I’m writing this) a corpse bride. They were both aiming for terrifying, but as Barack put it, they really are just too cute to be scary.

A few days ago, thousands of women from all across the country came to Chicago for a national conference on the major questions and concerns facing women today. For two days, they discussed many important issues facing our nation… from health care to energy to diplomacy and peace… led by women who are experts in those fields. And so many fantastic people gave speeches—including the men we are rooting for to be our next president and vice-president, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

This week, I’m hitting the campaign trail. I’m heading back to Virginia and North Carolina, excited to meet lots of people, hear lots of stories, and share Barack’s plans for bringing the change we need to the country we love.

Hi everybody, I’m excited to be posting on BlogHer. Not only because blogging is something I’ve actually been able to beat my daughters to; but because it gives me the opportunity to tell you a little bit about them, my husband, myself, and our experiences traveling all over this great country.