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First lady Michelle Obama, above, spoke to children from across the country Monday during the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program. Obama used a telephone link to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., while on vacation in Hawaii.
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COURTESY NATALIE NISHIDA
President Barack Obama, meanwhile, played golf at the Kaneohe Klipper course and took time to greet people on the premises, including Natalie Nishida, left, who was having breakfast at the clubhouse.
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President Barack Obama spent part of Christmas Eve on a Kaneohe golf course while first lady Michelle Obama answered calls from children across the country tracking Santa’s whereabouts in the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program.
The Obamas are on their annual vacation in Hawaii, but a telephone link allowed the first lady to pitch in with volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., who were answering phone calls and email for the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Santa-tracking program.
The first lady started the calls at about noon and spoke to children for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the president spent Christmas Eve golfing, his second golf outing since he arrived in Hawaii early Saturday morning.
His golf partners Monday were childhood friends Mike Ramos, Bobby Titcomb and Greg Orme.
The president finished golfing at about 3:15 p.m., and afterward went to Pyramid Rock Beach on Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, where he met his family.
Obama began the day with a workout at the gym on base. His motorcade arrived there at about 7:15 a.m. Obama stayed until about 8:35 a.m. and returned to Kailua. The motorcade returned to the base at about 9:40 a.m. for the golf outing.
He played golf Saturday afternoon at the Kaneohe Klipper course with Titcomb, Ramos, White House chef Sam Kass and aide Marvin Nicholson.