Before Obama arriving at the White House, crowds lined the streets of downtown Washington, cheering the president-elect as his motorcade made its way to and from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

While Obama has been to the White House a half-dozen times since he won a Senate seat four years ago, it was his first time inside the Oval Office.

Though leaving no comments, the common guess is that they had a substantive discussion not only about the transition of power, but also the critical issues facing the United States, especially the economy and a proposed stimulus package aimed at easing the country's financial woes.

Indeed, the economic crisis is believed to be the reason why their chat came far sooner than usual, less than a week after Obama made history by becoming the first black man to be elected president of the United States.

Both Laura Bush and Michelle Obama have two daughters, and the issues surrounding raising them in the public spotlight was expected to be a likely topic of discussion.

The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, were 18 when Bush arrived at the White House in 2000.

Malia Obama is 10 and her sister, Sasha, is seven, and they'll be the youngest children to live there since nine-year-old Amy Carter moved in after Jimmy Carter's 1976 election victory.

The Obama girls weren't at the White House with their parents Monday.

They were in school in Chicago, and Michelle Obama is looking at various schools in Washington, D.C., for her girls.

The Obamas flew back to Chicago immediately following the visit.