Katie Holmes Dishes Christmas, Tom's Older Kids: "They Call Me Mom"

Parade magazine sits down with "Mad Money" costars Katie Holmes, Queen Latifah and Diane Keaton. Holmes, aka Mrs. Tom Cruise, dished about Christmas in Telluride with her family and how Tom's older two kids, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, call her "mom".

PARADE: Happy holidays. Do you look forward to this season?
KATIE HOLMES: I have always been a huge fan of the holidays. My birthday is December 18th, so it's my favorite time of the year. I'm from a big family, and we always did a grand Christmas Eve with all of the relatives. We'd sing Christmas carols and open gifts. Really joyous. Last year was Suri's first Christmas. It was so spectacular to share the holidays with her. It really meant the world to me. To be able to create a tradition for your children is one of the best gifts you can have.

How will you and Tom celebrate?
KH: My whole family and Tom's whole family will go up to Telluride [Colo.] again. We ski. We have big dinners and laugh. We love cooking. My mom's stuffing is my favorite. I'm a huge fan of pie, especially pecan. I will probably cook some garlic mashed potatoes and maybe a cheesecake. We always make a lot of sugar cookies with decorating and sprinkles. Suri will be in the dough everywhere. Tom has shown me the greatness of extra chocolate chips. Tom's really good in the kitchen. He makes great pasta carbonara and lemon pasta.

With all that, how do you both keep fit?
KH: We ski a lot. And we'll get back to normal eating in January, like everyone else.

Did you have fun shooting "Mad Money"?
KH: It was a blast. We got our morning female talk in the trailer every day.

Does Tom get the way women talk together?
KH: My husband has three sisters. He was raised by a single mother and has two daughters--and he's a great father and husband. His first two children are incredible, really smart and kind. They call me "Mom." So Tom understands the female bond, and he loves it. He was so excited for me to do this movie. He loved hearing all the stories.

Onscreen, you speed around on a motorcycle. Was that your first time?
KH: Actually, the first time I went on a motorcycle was when I met Tom. I had never gone on one before because my father is a lawyer, and he had seen a lot of accidents. With four daughters and one son, he said: "No motorcycles." So finally, at age 26, Tom took me for a motorcycle ride.

Tom is a daredevil. Has he brought out that side of you?
KH: Definitely. Oh, we have so much fun. Tom has introduced me to so many new experiences. I have done things I never thought I would do, like climbing mountains and flying in the P-51 [a World War II fighter].That's what is so inspiring about being with him--constant thrills and joy.

Is your daughter, Suri, a great traveler too?
KH: We don't like to be away from her. She's very aware. We take her to the park in each city and walk around. This summer, when Tom was working in Germany, she'd wake up and say, "Hello, Berlin."

Everyone asks, "What's Katie really like now?" How would you answer that?
KH: With everything that's happened, I still feel the same. I'm really happy being a mom, being a wife. I understand the curiosity. It's a reality for me, another dimension of awareness. I appreciate the man that I'm with and my family and my work. I feel very lucky to be able to say that. I mean, what we do in a week is extraordinary.

Did you expect such a busy and public life?
KH: I am up for it. I love adventure. We do a lot of things that I couldn't imagine doing when I was younger. And yet, at the same time, I always wanted to see the world. It is a big life, and it's exciting. I learn from my husband, and I learn things about myself. I learn about things from my daughter. She teaches me a lot. Every day I do count my blessings.

Comments

[dora rice]

on this picture, doesn't she remind you on Elvis's Pricilla? Tom just looks like a dork. He should be infront of the camera 24/7. The only time I can stand him and only in every other third picture.

[bushdoescrack]

who is the dwarf she is standing with?

[We]

Tom's right. Endocrinology is BULLSHIT.

[javaman]

The trainwrecking of america, one stupid ass celebraty at a time.

[Kalima]

Tom being as gay as Paris in the spring time,she
should be relieved that they don't call her "Dad."

[moodygirl]

This woman looks like a cross between a Stepford wife and a Blow-Up doll. She talks like one too "my husband" this, "my husband" that. Give it a rest.

[xAnotherReaderx]

I think this is more the Cruise/Holmes PR campaign to make them more likeable as celebrities. Cruise has had a bit of consumer backlash because of his strange behavior and outlandish comments. Holmes has been in these teen's lives for all of two years now. All the pictures of them as soccer parents were part of the PR. Cruise launched complaints against photographers taking his children's pictures when he was married to Nicole. All of a sudden,fatherhood is now tool for positive publicity. I've read a lot of negative comments about Nicole Kidman as a mother. I wonder why people think she's a bad mother because she doesn't flaunt her children to the media.
They are also being raised as scientologists. They are schooled as scientologists. Tom has ensured the children follow his way of life and thinking. Nicole has left that cult-religion-whatever. The children were with her for the majority of the time while he was parading around with Penelope Cruz. Again, it looks to me as a great PR stunt from the Cruise-Holmes machine. Perhaps they'll do more of these "we're just average people who have children who just adore us" interviews before the already pushed back Valkyrie picture comes out next year.

[totalliberal]

Nice shot. Barbie and Hitler.

[nirak]

Nicole herself doesn't like the MOM TITLE and every kid likes to have a MOM

[cakelady]

I am utterly amazed at how cruel people are. Why can't we as human beings be happy for anothers happiness in life? Give this woman a break! She married the man that she loves, she has a child she adores, loving parents, caring in laws, her husbands loving children, why on earth should be make all these mean comments?

[kellygrrrl]

oh, gawd! I think I'm going to vomit!

[ThisIsAllJustADream]

so who do they call 'Dad'? bwah ha ha!

to all the credulous types writing down their heartfelt opinions on Tom and Katie's so-called 'marriage' and fambly, be advised, it's common knowledge that Tom is light in the loafers.

c'mon, people! this has been common knowledge for over a decade. get with the program.

[tufar]

This is just another scientology puff piece. There seems to be a new one every day. Propaganda... the cult uses their celebrities well.

The reason for the cultish onslaught is that Germany is about to ban scientology altogether. Which is pretty bad news for the cult.

So when bad news happens, the cult trots out their celebrities. It's a pattern, this is what they always do. These days that means anything Cruise-ish, the Tom, the wife, the kid or anyone famous cultivated by the same. (Beckhams, Smiths, etc)

It is unfortunate that Huffington Post publishes every one of these silly efforts. But what is even more unfortunate is that there has been absolutely no mention of the German political events that engendered all this crap... there is point when one really must wonder about this site.

[leftoflennon]

Nice interview by Katie. :)

Keep living your life woman, and dont listen to the naysayers and haters.

[Jeffin90019]

Nicole "Botox Face" Kidman said herself in a recent interview that the children she and Tom bought/adopted during their PR marriage don't call her 'mom.' They call her 'Nicole.' Shows how much energy and commitment she put into parenthood. Maybe Katie actually parents them and they respond with affection. That Nicole doesn't weep over the fact that her adopted children don't feel like she's their mother, should fill her with shame. But then shame might cause her to wrinkle her brow, and that simply isn't allowed. What a ridiculous creature Kidman has become. Good for Katie - even if she is married to that nutball.