Malia Obama told her parents that spending her 10th birthday helping her father campaign for the presidency far from home and "rocking out" with her family after takeout in a modest hotel room was the best she has ever had. "I don't know whether she was just telling us what we wanted to hear. But from my perspective it was one of the best times I've had in a long time," Barack Obama (web|news|bio) , his voice choking up just a tad, told reporters traveling with him Saturday from Montana, site of the birthday festivities over two days, to St. Louis. The Obama clan - the Democratic presidential nominee, his wife, Michelle, their daughters, Malia and Sasha, and his sister and her family - transplanted to Butte, Mont., for Friday's Fourth of July holiday, which also was Malia's birthday.

It was a full, hot day of campaigning.

There was dutiful attendance at the small mining town's parade, a campaign-hosted "family picnic" for hundreds on sun-drenched a hillside, and a long afternoon of several media interviews that included pictures of the girls playing and even questions from television's "Access Hollywood," despite the Obamas' typical prohibition on media attention for them. Obama also was the subject of intense filming attention, as the Academy Award-winning director of "An Inconvenient Truth" - Al Gore's environmental documentary - and his crew spent the day shooting and interviewing him for the biopic to be aired at the Democratic National Convention next month.

There were fireworks late Thursday night, and countless renditions of "Happy Birthday" from townsfolk for Malia.

Obama said the family was tired by Friday evening and chose the no-fanfare option of ordering in dinner and birthday cake to their rooms at the Holiday Inn Express. They had put Malia's favorite songs on an iPod, by artists such as the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and what ensued was about two hours of dancing.

"She said it was the best birthday she ever had," he said.

Never fear, though, little Malia will get a real birthday party back home in Chicago next weekend.

Obama family tradition calls for celebrations, not to "load her up with a bunch of presents, so there will be an outing with Malia's close friends to the pool, to see the new animated film "Wall-e" ("which I'm looking forward to," said Obama, "it's gotten good reviews"), then back home to make pizza and sundaes and have a sleepover.

One thing she won't be getting is a pony, Obama said, despite the obvious enthusiasm for horses that Malia and Sasha showed in the Butte parade. Malia has severe allergies.

"We can get a hypoallergenic dog," Obama said. "I don't think you can get a hypoallergenic horse."

Obama also commented on the adjustments required by this week's recent addition of a small pool of reporters to his motorcade, meaning the media is present whenever he goes somewhere. He said he accepts it, but seemed to lament not being able to go to his near-daily workouts, or take a walk or go on a date with his wife "without a big fuss."

"I've never been an entourage guy," Obama said. "We're going to try to keep on doing the things we do."

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Compiled by Jennifer Loven

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