East Wing Rules: Ohana Luau at The White House, Aloha!

Barack Obama & daughters enjoying shave ice in 2008 on vacation with friends in Hawaii

Ohana is famous to most people from Disney's Lilo & Stitch. The word means family. The families of the Obama Administration along with Congressional pals, partners and little people are invited to enjoy a pre-Independence day celebration with the Obama Family.

Update here is stage being set photo courtesy CBS. Everyone will get a lei and there is a dunk tank for Charity too.

UPdate 2: from the actual event

Bo got to come with his sporty leash sans lei - he already had one at his first visit to meet the folks.

Presidential Dad & Sasha delivered a dunking to the White House Chief of Staff as well.

Hawaii is the fiftieth state, coming to the stars and stripes officially in August of

1959. On August 4th, 1961, a bi-racial baby was born on the island of Oahu, in Honolulu, that would grown up to be the president of the United States. Hawai'i's traditions of shave ice, body surfing, calmness and tropical "cool" with the shaka are part of the heritage. For the first president ever from the pineapple state, a luau is landing on the South Lawn. Historically there is nothing to compare it to for other first families. With abundant joy, the Reagans vacationed in Hawaii. Most presidents venture to the state to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial or as a pit stop on the way to Japan. (Photo of President & Nancy Reagan's enjoying the warm waters of the Pacific in Hawaii)

Thursday night is the big draw for the lu'au. Tihati Productions will provide some of the festive flaming entertainment in DC that they do in Hawaii for tourists anxious for poi, pineapple and a roasted pig with an apple in its mouth alongside the hula and the flames. For me its more a Euro style luau rather than the ones I have participated in with the cooking of the pig in a pit with my native Hawaiian neighbors. My youngest was born at the same hospital as the president, albeit quite a few years later. Now I see luau's again through the eyes of a mainlander as will the guests of the White House. (Tihati Productions Luau performance photo courtesy of Jay Metzger)

"The White House specifically wanted a Samoan knife twirler," she said. "Well, we will bring six fire-knife dancers, who will do a pyramid formation."

Tihati performances draw on the traditions of Hawai'i, Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Maori New Zealand. To fill out the cast for this special performance, the Thompsons raided Tihati productions at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, The Royal Hawaiian, the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i and the Waikoloa Marriott.

Congressional picnics are an annual event meant to bring together a couple thousand people on the lawn right before the Fourth of July holiday. Food, music, and the ubiquitous red checkered tablecloth are the usual accoutrements. This is going to be quite different though familiar for those who on the Hawaii tourist circuit. Alan Wong is the Hawaii celebrity chef following last week's celebrity chef for the Father's Day Event, Bobby Flay, by providing meals with the foods and fusion arising from the islands. Macadamia nuts and corn on the cob will be side by side at the buffet picnic. Some of the ingredients will no doubt come from Michelle Obama's Kitchen Garden as well. Yep, that means spam, in flagrante, too. (President Bush & Speaker Pelosi in 2007 at Congressional Picnic, photo courtesy AP)

(Mardi Gras was theme of the 2007 Congressional Picnic with formal hayrides offered to the guests by Harmon's Hayrides.)

In 210 years, the stately mansion at 1600 has witnessed many a new idea brought about by a toughtful first lady and her staff.

Note: Maureen's eyes have been particularly bad lately. We apologize for the lack of posts. She thinks she's on the mend finally and thanks everyone for their forbearance while health problems took precedence. She's working to gain a few pounds too!