Laura Bush reveals her grandchildren call George Bush ‘Jefe’

Laura Bush spent Friday morning on daughter Jenna Bush Hager’s hour of the Today show, revealing hilarious anecdotes about life with George W Bush. 

The pair were excitedly discussing Jenna’s pregnancy when Laura revealed to Meredith Vieira that her grandchildren call Bush ‘Jefe’.   

‘My dad wanted “Jefe” because that means boss in Spanish, and nobody calls him a boss anymore,’ quipped Jenna, who is six months pregnant with her third child. 

The women then began talking about the best advice they ever received, and Laura revealed one thing that her late mother-in-law Barbara Bush had tried to teach her. 

 

Laura Bush spent the morning on daughter Jenna Bush Hager’s hour of the Today show, revealing hilarious anecdotes about life with George W Bush

The mother and daughter were talking to Meredith Vieira about grandchildren when Laura revealed that the couple's grandchildren call him 'Jefe'

The mother and daughter were talking to Meredith Vieira about grandchildren when Laura revealed that the couple’s grandchildren call him ‘Jefe’

Barbara told Laura she had to learn the hard way never to criticize husband George HW Bush’s speeches. 

‘George [W Bush] was running for Congress and she said, “Listen, don’t criticize George’s speeches”. She’d criticized her George’s speech, and he’d come home for weeks later with letters saying it was the best speech he ever gave,’ Laura recalled. 

Laura took her mother-in-law’s advice, but one night that changed when she and George W Bush were driving home from an event .

‘As we drove into the driveway George said, “Tell me the truth, how was my speech?” And I said, “Well, it wasn’t that good”. And he drove into the garage wall,’ she said. 

‘You definitely told dad what you thought,’ Jenna added as she and Meredith burst into laughter. 

'My dad wanted "Jefe" because that means boss in Spanish, and nobody calls him a boss anymore,' Jenna quipped

‘My dad wanted “Jefe” because that means boss in Spanish, and nobody calls him a boss anymore,’ Jenna quipped

Laura and Bush currently have two grandchildren, Jenna's daughters Mila, six, and three-year-old Poppy. Jenna is currently six months pregnant and expecting a boy

Laura and Bush currently have two grandchildren, Jenna’s daughters Mila, six, and three-year-old Poppy. Jenna is currently six months pregnant and expecting a boy 

‘I told him what I thought but I don’t think it’s a good idea to criticize your spouse, I try to refrain from it,’ Laura said. 

‘Sometimes when he makes messes…you don’t criticize, you complain,’ joked Jenna. 

‘Is he messy?’ Meredith asked. 

‘No, because he’s been married to her for 30 x years,’ Jenna quipped. 

The former First Lady then revealed that she and Bush were actually about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. 

‘Are you going to do something special?’ Meredith asked. 

‘No,’ Laura deadpanned as the women burst into laughter again. 

Laura also revealed that the one piece of advice her mother-in-law Barbara Bush gave her was to never criticize her own husband's speeches

Laura also revealed that the one piece of advice her mother-in-law Barbara Bush gave her was to never criticize her own husband’s speeches 

‘That’s what happens when you’re married for 40 years,’ Jenna added.  

Laura said she and Bush are ‘thrilled’ to have another grandchild on the way, revealing that her husband calls them the ‘wonderful part’ of old age. 

‘Grandchildren are so terrific, they’re really the rewards of old age,’ she continued. ‘We let them do anything of course.’ 

Laura revealed her favorite thing about being a grandparent is when Jenna’s daughters wake up at 6am to snuggle with her and Bush on their Texas ranch or vacation home in Maine. 

‘It takes a full week to get them back on their normal schedule,’ Jenna added. 

‘As George said, “They can do whatever they want,”‘ Laura said with a laugh.  

The former First Lady also opened up about what it was like to be a mother of twins, saying the best part was 'getting two babies with one pregnancy'

The former First Lady also opened up about what it was like to be a mother of twins, saying the best part was ‘getting two babies with one pregnancy’ 

Laura said she and Bush are 'thrilled' to have another grandchild, revealing that her husband calls them the 'wonderful part' of old age. They are pictured here with Jenna, daughter Barbara, Jenna's husband Henry Hager, and grandchildren Poppy and Mila

Laura said she and Bush are ‘thrilled’ to have another grandchild, revealing that her husband calls them the ‘wonderful part’ of old age. They are pictured here with Jenna, daughter Barbara, Jenna’s husband Henry Hager, and grandchildren Poppy and Mila 

The former First Lady also opened up about what it was like to be a mother of twins. 

‘The best part was actually getting two babies with one pregnancy, because we were very anxious for children,’ she said. 

‘One baby for me to hold and one for George to hold, which was great.’ 

While Laura said both Jenna and her sister Barbara were ‘good babies’, their teenage years were a little different. 

‘As George said, “War is hell,”‘ Laura quipped as Jenna and Meredith laughed. 

But Laura said she was ‘so happy’ that Jenna and Barbara had a sister from day one. 

Laura was game to try anything on her daughter's hour of Today, even helping cook

Laura was game to try anything on her daughter’s hour of Today, even helping cook 

‘I was an only child. I always wished I had sisters or brothers,’ she added. 

Laura also shared her favorite memory from the White House, which came after one of Bush’s inaugurations. 

‘The entire family was staying in the White House, everyone was asleep in the White House, and I remember going to bed that night having that perfect peace of security with everyone I love tucked into bed and accounted for under one roof,’ she said. 

‘We loved all the people who worked there,’ Laura added, revealing how touched she was when Melania Trump brought the White House butlers to Barbara Bush’s funeral. 

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