Last week, Angelina Jolie and the kids left Vietnam, and headed to parts unknown. The kids got to spend about a week in Vietnam, and it was the first trip any Jolie-Pitt had made to the country since Angelina adopted Pax in 2007. Angelina and Brad try to start charities and introduce their adopted kids to their birth countries, although some of those birth countries get more Jolie-Pitt love than others – like Maddox’s birth country, Cambodia. Anyway, you can see some photos of Angelina, Maddox and Pax at the airport here.

Us Weekly reports that while the family was in Vietnam, Angelina arranged for Pax to meet his biological grandmother:

Reunited! During a recent family trip to Vietnam — the first since Angelina Jolie adopted Pax from an orphanage near Ho Chi Min City on 2007, the 8-year-old spent some time getting to know his biological grandmother Nhan Dung.

“It was a one day visit,” an insider tells the new Us Weekly, on stands now. “Nhan was looking forward to it after Pax had lived so many years abroad.”

Jolie, 36, and longtime love Brad Pitt arranged for Dung to visit Pax at the seaside Six Sense resort in Con Dao, where the gang stayed during their trip.

Earlier this year, Jolie told the Financial Times why she and Pitt, 47 emphasize educating their children about their native countries. “They are all learning about each other’s cultures as well as being proud of their own,” she said. “They all have their flags over their beds and their individual pride.”

In addition to Pax, the couple are parents to two adopted children (Maddox, 10, and Zahara, 6) and three biological children (Shiloh, 5, and 3-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.)

[From Us Weekly]

“…After Pax had lived so many years abroad…” Does anyone else feel weird about that description? Like, Pax was just traveling as a student as opposed to being adopted and having a brood of five siblings and two parents? I was trying to remember what was known about Pax’s life before Angelina adopted him in 2007 – he was living in an orphanage, but did anyone know anything about his parents or extended family? Oh, well. I guess I should applaud Angelina and Brad for allowing Pax access to his extended family, who are apparently still alive and well.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

Well, it looks like the Jolie-Pitts flew from Budapest to Paris over the American holiday, and they spent their time shopping and celebrating. Us Weekly reports that last night, Brad, Angelina and the four oldest kids went on a boat ride to celebrate Pax’s seventh birthday. Even though I like the idea of a boat birthday party, and I’m sure Paris is really beautiful at this time of year, and at night, I have to think all of the Jolie-Pitts were freezing their nads off. Especially Angie!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took Pax for a Parisian cruise Sunday evening to celebrate his seventh birthday.

Sibs Maddox, 9, Zahara, 5, and Shiloh, 4, also joined them for the ride down the River Seine. On the boat: Cake and some birthday balloons.

Pitt, 46, was spotted filming the kids on his video camera, while Jolie, 35 (in a beige trench coat) was seen pointing out notable sights during the ride.

The gang spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Paris, where Jolie is promoting her new Johnny Depp thriller The Tourist.

They will soon have another reason to celebrate: Pitt turns 47 Dec. 18.

[From Us Weekly]

I wonder if The Tourist’s promotional tour is going to start in Paris? Do you think Angelina and Johnny Depp will be doing their press junket there? That’s pretty sweet – I imagine many of the Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood journalists will be thrilled to go to Paris for the junket. But this thought just occurred to me – Ryan Seacrest and his “girlfriend” are in Paris right now too. La Seacrest and the Jolie-Pitts are mortal enemies, you see. Could Seacrest make a move to get some kind of Paris exclusive?

Here are more pics from the birthday party… the quality isn’t that great, I apologize.

Header photo courtesy of Bauer-Griffin. Additional photos courtesy of Fame.

I don’t really having anything to add to the glowing cuteness of these photos. Brad, Angelina, Shiloh, Pax and Zahara came out to play in a public park in Budapest yesterday, shortly after Brad came back from his whirlwind NYC trip (in which he went to the premiere of Megamind). It seems like Pax and Shiloh got to play with some kind of zip line for kids – and relax, parents, the zip line was like two feet off the ground. Still, that brings up a question I had when looking through these photos, and seeing that Brad was the one trying to figure out the harness for the kids: would you allow Brad to harness you? I’m not talking about a sex thing, I’m talking about a safety thing. Personally, I would prefer Angelina to be in charge of my rig. I’m just saying – she comes across as the better parent for harnesses and such.

I don’t see any photos of Empress Zahara playing in the zip line. She was all “Bitch, please. Like I would dirty my beautiful white coat.” And it is beautiful. And so is she. Like, she’s a ridiculously gorgeous little girl. And you know she’s going to be the family heartbreaker – not Shiloh. Shiloh is too busy trying to be (and achieving) the Ultimate Tomboy. When boys try to flirt with her, she’ll probably punch them. Bless her heart.

Photos courtesy of Fame & Bauer-Griffin.

Empress Zahara has found something that struck her fancy. Take notes, minions. Brad and Angelina took the Empress and little Pax out on the town over the weekend – they’re still in Budapest, and I guess Angelina had a short break in her directing schedule. So Brad and Angelina took Pax and Zahara to Lukacs Thermal Bath – I believe they’re coming out of the thermal bath in these photos. Zahara looks highly amused! She also looks like she’s working some angle with her mom, like she’s trying to charm a trip to McDonalds out of mama. Fame Pictures does note that the four Jolie-Pitts did go to McDonalds, and I personally think it was the Empress’s initiative (hustle) that got everybody some chicken nuggets. Did you take that down? Empress Zahara approves of thermal baths and chicken nuggets and/or French fries.

Meanwhile, Pax looked upset and/or mid-tantrum coming out of the thermal baths. CB pointed out that Pax probably didn’t want to leave, and that it was probably like an awesome heated pool for the kids to play in. So, Pax = tantrums? Who knows? Also: is his stuffed animal Curious George? That’s very cute.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Angelina Jolie did a press conference in Cancun, Mexico, when she posed for photos that we still don’t have access to. Thankfully, Us Weekly was on the ball and sent someone down there to actually, you know, record what Angelina said at the press conference. It sounds pretty cute – she got some questions about her kids, and she finally told a story about Pax, The Forgotten Jolie-Pitt (aka “Call Me Fred”). Pax/Fred got upset when he saw the trailer for Salt, because he thought someone was actually beating up his mom. But, Angelina says, most of the other kids don’t really give a sh-t that she’s an actress. Shiloh is giving her mom style tips though – Shiloh wants Angelina to get a short little pixie cut too!

Like daughter, like mother? When Shiloh Jolie-Pitt saw her mom Angelina Jolie in the trailer for Salt, the tot with the pixie-cut had some pointers.

“Shiloh wanted me to get my hair cut short,” Jolie told reporters Wednesday at a press conference in Cancun, Mexico for the action flick.

Jolie, 35, is in Mexico for film promotional duties with her four eldest: Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, Zahara, 5, and Shiloh, 4. The tykes saw the film’s trailer for the first time in their hotel, Jolie explained.

“Half of them were uninterested,” the actress said. Her second eldest was concerned when he saw Jolie get roughed up in one shot. “Pax got upset because someone was trying to hurt his mom. He saw [my] feet wrapped and he got mad. But then I explained to him that I’m fine.”

She added: “They’re very confused, to be honest. I think they don’t quite know what to think. Even the change of hair color is confusing for them,” she said of her blonde locks in the flick. Where were the kids during her meet and greet with the press? “They’re in the pool,” Jolie explained.

The star also dished on love Brad Pitt, who stayed behind in L.A. with twins Vivienne and Knox, nearly 2. Pitt, 46, was “very supportive” of her taking on the role after taking a year off to have the twins.

“We met doing this style of film,” she noted, referring to the 2005 action flick Mr. and Mrs. Smith. “He knows that in some way the action of it is fun for me. We have fun together doing kind of physical things, whether it’s my training for this or motorcycle practice … it was fun.”

“I was sitting in my nightgown in bed feeling very very girly and very soft,” she recalled. “I sat with [the script] on the bed…I said I think I found something that will help me get kind of fired up again and physical again.”

“Anything I was ready to do he was going to jump behind. But he was happy for me.”

[From Us Weekly]

Some famous actress… I forget who now, maybe it was Meryl Streep or Julianne Moore, someone like that, said that her kids thought “Mommy works in a trailer” because whenever the kids came to visit her at work, she was in the trailer, getting her hair and makeup done, waiting to go on set. It must be really strange having a major actor or actress as a parent. I know that’s a “no sh-t, Sherlock” statement, but really, just think of the mechanics of it alone. Another one of my favorite stories of a kid who grew up around a famous parent was Sofia Coppola’s story about always being on her dad’s sets, and hanging out with the makeup and costume department, and giving makeovers to her dolls. So maybe it’s not all “Don’t watch Mommy get tortured by this man, okay?”

Maddox & Pax on May 29, 2010. Angelina & Pax on Feb. 25, 2010. Credit: Fame. Angelina in Venice on April 9, 2010. Credit: WENN.

While Angelina Jolie was working her ass off doing reshoots on Salt yesterday (and in her downtime reading a book about Afghan girls’ schools), Brad Pitt took their two oldest boys out for some play time. Brad brought Pax and Maddox to Dave and Busters, which was the second time (we know of) that Maddox got to go. There are actually photos of Pax smiling as they leave! I’m sure Pax smiles all the time, but he’s the Jolie-Pitt child who looks most terrified of the paparazzi, so it’s nice to see him enjoying himself out in public. Oh, and Brad’s brother Doug and Doug’s son joined them too! There’s more from Us Weekly (including someone shouting “I love Jennifer Aniston” like a 12 year old) and, by the way, this story was filed in the “Moms and Babies” section of Us Weekly’s site:

It’s a boys’ day out for Brad Pitt and sons Maddox and Pax!

The star, 46, and his younger brother Doug took the two boys to Dave & Buster’s in New York City’s Times Square Wednesday afternoon, UsMagazine.com confirms. (Pitt took Maddox to the same Dave & Busters back in September.)

While at the arcade restaurant, Pitt helped Pax, 6, with the controls on “The Big One,” an oversized crane used to grab stuffed animals. After several attempts, they won a giant stuffed animal.

The group — surrounded by four security guards — then moved on to war game “Razing Storm.” Pax and Maddox, 8, took hold of the life-size guns and shot at the arcade screen for a few minutes before moving on.

While the bearded Pitt watched them play, an eyewitness tells Us he handed out extra Dave & Buster’s game cards to a few children. One boy jumped up and down in excitement when the star gave him the card and patted him on the back, the source says.

When a crowd began gathering, Pitt, Doug and the kids got in an elevator to leave. As the doors closed, one onlooker yelled out, “I love Jennifer Aniston!”

Although Pitt didn’t look amused, his brother Doug laughed out loud, an eyewitness says.

Their afternoon out came one day after Pitt was photographed greeting Angelina Jolie with their two daughters, Shiloh, 3, and Zahara, 5. The clan has been braving the 30-degree temperatures in NYC as Jolie finishes several re-shoots of her action flick Salt.

[From Us Weekly]

I’ve always liked Brad’s relationship to his brother Doug. They seem genuinely tight, and it’s cool that Doug and at least part of his family are in New York to spend time with Brad, Angelina and the clan. Oh, and I love the boys’ style. Maddox especially looks so hardcore. Take note, Taylor Momsen.

Brad Pitt takes Maddox and Pax to ‘Dave & Busters’ arcade with his brother Doug and nephew, in the times square section of New York City. Credit: INF and Fame.

We don’t have access to these great new pictures, but if like seeing the Jolie-Pitt kids, you should definitely check these out. Angelina took Zahara, Pax and Shiloh out to the Toys ‘R’ Us in the south of France (who knew there was a Toys ‘R’ Us there?). People are already analyzing in great depth Shiloh’s missing front tooth - she’s 3 ½ years old, which does seem young to start loosing teeth. Perhaps Shiloh and Empress Zahara got into a big fight, and Zahara clocked her? Or perhaps Shiloh is just knocked out her own front tooth with that epically awesome sword she’s carrying.

Zahara looks like she’s turning out to be the great beauty of the family, and she’s wearing a little purple peasant skirt and white tank. Too cute. Meanwhile, I think Shiloh decided to dress up like some kind of… pirate? She has that sword, a hat and a “f-ck off and die” look on her face. Awesome. I love generational bitchface. Pax looks cute too – he got a haircut, and he looks like a sweetheart. He’s missing one of his front teeth too!

In one other little piece of Jolie-Pitt news, does anyone remember the weird rumor floating around last month that Brad Pitt was called in to film some emergency scenes for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes? Within a day, the rumors were denied, but they still struck me as totally odd. First, how even starts a rumor like that if there isn’t some kind of basis? Secondly, Guy and Brad are friends, and if Guy was going to turn to anyone for a little emergency stunt-casting, it would probably be Brad. Now the rumor mill has started up again, and Brad’s name is still being thrown around… this time for a possible Sherlock Holmes sequel:

Brad Pitt has been the subject of a whirlwind of internet rumors that would mystify Sherlock Holmes himself. The “Inglourious Basterds” star was pegged for a cameo as the nefarious Moriarty, the titular master detective’s arch-nemesis, in the Guy Ritchie-directed “Sherlock Holmes,” but denials from Warner Bros. and other official parties effectively squashed that rumor.

Do you think the real Moriarty would reveal his identity so easily? No, he’d confuse his pursuers with misdirection and false leads. But just like legends, a good rumor never dies.
The Hollywood Reporter is getting in on the rumor mill by suggesting that Brad Pitt has had discussions with producers to star as Moriarty in a potential “Sherlock Holmes” sequel. The report acknowledges the previous Pitt rumors, but states that “those familiar with the script say the character [of Moriarty] is in shadow and cannot be recognized,” verifying director Ritchie’s statement that the Holmes villain is slated for an appearance — just not with any specific actor in mind.

Perhaps more important than Pitt’s potential enlistment in a “Holmes” sequel is the very existence of a sequel itself. The Robert Downey Jr.-starring action-mystery-what-have-you flick doesn’t even hit theaters until December, and there are already active plans to turn the film into a franchise.

According to THR, screenwriters Kieran and Michele Mulroney have been hired to pen “Sherlock Holmes 2″ for Warners. The screenwriting pair are also mentioned as the writers behind “Justice League: Mortal,” the WB’s defunct superhero team-up project. They also wrote and directed “Paper Man,” the Jeff Daniels and Ryan Reynolds-starring dramedy about a man accompanied by an imaginary superhero pal.

So, not only is Brad Pitt maybe-possibly starring in the “Holmes” franchise after all, but a sequel is actually being fast-tracked in advance of the initial film’s release. Seems a little early to be talking about “Sherlock Holmes 2″ to me, when we don’t even know if the first movie is any good or not.

[From MTV News]

Maybe I’m completely off-base, but I kind of think Brad might have done some work on this first Sherlock Holmes film, due out this Christmas. I think it was supposed to be a surprise, and it got out, and the studio tried to shut it down. I’m not saying Brad filmed a bunch of scenes or anything – but if Guy Ritchie was smart about it, Brad could have done some voice work, and maybe one scene, the “reveal” of Prof. Moriarity.

Brad Pitt is shown at the San Sebastian Film Festival on 9/18/09 with Quentin Tarantino. Credit: WENN.com

Star Magazine is reporting that Brad and Angelina’s ever-increasing roster of kids are undisciplined, poorly behaved brats who can’t keep their hands to themselves, and their favorite punching bag is little sister Shiloh. Supposedly, Star interviewed a family insider who says that all the traveling, relocating, and their hectic schedule has affected the kids, and that neither parent likes to be the disciplinarian. This alleged insider also says that Pax and Maddox fight constantly, but that Zahara is the queen bee who likes to scratch and pull hair. Apparently, Shiloh got in the middle of a kid skirmish and ended up chipping a tooth.

With four children to manage and two more on the way, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt make it seem so easy. They travel around the globe at a moment’s notice with their kids in tow, but sources reveal to Star that behind the scenes, they’re losing control of their unruly brood.

With four kids come four very different personalities, which all seem to clash. And the sibling rivalry is brutal.

Maddox, 6, is constantly pushing Pax, 4, around in an attempt to show him who’s boss, says a source. “But Pax is no wimp, and he fights back.”

But it’s little Zahara, 3, who really rules the roost! “She screams and shouts at the boys when she doesn’t get her way,” says the source. Not even Shiloh, 22 months, is safe — and the toddler has the battle scars to prove it. “Z is always pushing or scratching her.”

Zahara’s picking on Shiloh is usually motivated by snacks. “Z once clawed Shiloh’s cheek after she tried to take her cookie,” says an insider who witnessed one incident. “She’s always pulling on Shiloh’s hair so she can steal her food.”

And little Shiloh has more than her hair to worry about! Recently while Shiloh’s three older siblings roughhoused, she got knocked down and chipped a tooth! “Angie gets worried when Shi plays with them,” says the insider. “She always comes back with a scraped knee or a fat lip!”

In fact, another source says food is a problem with all the kids and blames much of their rowdiness on a poor diet. “They eat fast food, pizza, chips and sugary soft drinks,” says the source. “Brad and Angie let them eat what they want because it brings harmony to the chaotic household.” To make matters worse, the insider adds, “because bedtime is whenever the kids feel like it, they get overly tired and cranky. Brad and Angelina don’t like to be too strict.”

[From Star Magazine]

There is probably a kernel of truth to this: as a mom of four, I will be the first to admit that kids fight, and sometimes it gets physical. But I find it hard to believe that Brad and Angie would let it escalate to the point that anyone would get hurt. It would not surprise me at all to learn that the two boys get into occasional shoving matches- it’s standard operation for little boys. And I do believe that little Z is probably running the show. I love that kid! But this whole story sounds like an exaggeration to me. Where are the photos of Shiloh’s chipped tooth? Where are photos of the boys with bruises or scratches? There aren’t any, because the story is bogus.

Shiloh, Angelina and Maddox are shown at an art store in June, 2007 in the header image, thanks to WENN. The Jolie-Pitt family is shown going to the Field Museum in Chicago last August in the image below, thanks to Splash News.