If Sasha and Malia are reading the news, they might be upset to see that their dad has spoiled one of their Christmas surprises.

After calling John Boehner to negotiate over the stalled payroll tax cut, President Obama slipped into the holiday spirit and took a sleigh ride down to nearby Alexandria, Va., where he bought  presents for his daughters. In the video game section of a Best Buy, he blurted out to a press pool, "In case you were wondering, 'Just Dance for the Wii.'"

His daughters probably were wondering. And if the press were wondering whether they'd catch a glimpse of Obama doing the jitterbug, they were disappointed, too: The president said they'll never get a picture of that happening.

While Bo played with another dog at PetSmart, the press pool reports, Obama bought a chew toy and another item for the  first family dog, costing about $41.

That should keep Bo busy while the girls play with their new pets - apparently Obama also bought them The Sims 3, the "Pets" edition. The game's website entices: "Create the perfect (or imperfect) pets for your Sims, from fierce guard dogs to destructive kittens to trusty horses and more as you determine not only how your Sims' pets look but their personality traits as well."

He bought two $50 Apple gift cards, too.