Obama Daughters: Read more about Sasha and Malia Obama

When Sasha and Malia Obama accompanied their parents to France last month, they visited some iconic historical landmarks. They lit candles at Notre Dame cathedral and explored the Eiffel Tower. But they also had a chance to take in some modern culture as well, with a stop at the French children's clothing store Bonpoint.

Making this excursion extra special was the fact that Mrs. Obama and the girls were allowed into the shop on a Sunday, when, by law, France's retail outlets are closed (only stores selling food or those with "recreational" or "cultural" value may be open on Sundays). We don't know if the First Lady or her daughters bought anything at Bonpoint (although how could they resist?) but we think it's really cool that this was part of their first trip to Paris.

Fashion is an important part of popular culture, particularly for the French; Mrs. Obama herself has become a style icon in her own right, both at home and abroad. We love the idea that Sasha and Malia's visit to Paris included an afternoon of browsing in a boutique, and taking in some pop culture as well as the conventional art and architecture.

We also love that Mrs. Obama and her girls were able to do a normal mom-and-daughter thing together; we would imagine that it's tough these days for the First Lady to pop over to the Gap with Sasha and Malia for a little shopping. To have an hour to flip through the racks and look at clothes and just be together was probably a nice break from their very public lives.

But what about the store opening on a Sunday for the First Family, when regular French citizens aren't able to shop? There are a lot of reasons why it would have made sense to make this exception for Mrs. Obama and her children. It's possible that this was a security measure, or that the Obama's schedule didn't allow for any other opportunity to visit Bonpoint. When you're traveling with a full security detail, stopping into a shop can be a major undertaking; for the staff at Bonpoint, it was probably more manageable to have the Obamas come in for a private visit.

Whatever the reason, we're delighted that these kids are getting to be kids, even though their father is the President of the United States. And we're even more delighted that they're getting to do some really wonderful, special things with their parents as part of this experience.