Here are some photos of Katie Holmes with Suri Cruise in NYC on 6/25 after Suri got tired of walking, so Katie carried 6-year-old Suri for the rest of their walk. All I have to say about this (and without being too judgy) is that when my daughter was that age, my arms probably wouldn’t have carried her for more than a block at most. What does this tell us? Katie could totally beat Tom Cruise in an arm-wrestling match.

Another point of relevance to observe is that Katie and Tom have been spending a great deal of time apart from each other. While I’ve always assumed that Katie enjoyed her alone time away from the unhinged, lift wearing midget, she has been photographed quite recently looking very depressed. Further, Katie’s April walk of broken dreams poses the theory that not only is Katie bummed by Tom’s broken promises over her career, but she might also be disgruntled by his constant absence. Then Tom went solo (for whatever reason) to the Rock of Ages premiere. The official explanation is that Katie was in China for work-related reasons, but I’m not so sure that she wasn’t gone on purpose. You know, because he’s rarely ever there for her.

Now a new story from Star would have us believe that Tom’s extended and repeated time away from his girls is taking its toll not only upon his marriage but also Suri’s well being as well. The story, which seems to be based upon a photo of a tantrum on the part of Suri after Katie took away her ice cream cone, also states that Tom is scheduled to spend his 50th birthday in Iceland shooting Oblivion while his girls remain in NYC. From the way the story frames Tom’s statements on the subject, he comes off as pretty insensitive:

Tom Cruise has plans for his 50th birthday on July 3 — and they won’t involve party hats and blowing out candles with wife Katie Holmes, 33, and their 6-year-old daughter, Suri. Instead, he’ll be filming Oblivion in Iceland. “My family and I have an understanding on that matter,” explained Tom, who is currently starring in the hair-metal musical Rock of Ages. I have spent a lot of birthdays on set.”

But his absence seems to be taking a toll on the little girl and her mom, who caught the film Brave together on June 23 in NYC. “Suri misses her day,” says a family friend who points to the tyke’s recent public outbursts as evidence. She’s a different child when Tom’s around, explains the friend. “Suri was having a complete meltdown on a recent photo shoot for Katie until Tom stopped by unexpectedly. He picked her up and she was suddenly fine.”

[From Star, print edition, July 9, 2012]

Does Suri miss her dad while he’s away? Undoubtedly. Sure, the dude has to work, but it seems like a huge deal for him to be away on a milestone birthday. It’s hard to believe that he couldn’t negotiate with the producers for a few days to spend with family.

Meanwhile, The Mail is having a little fun at Tom’s expense by claiming that he rubs bird crap on his face to maintain his youthful glow:

Some celebrities opt for a bit of Botox or even a chemical peel in an attempt to keep their youthful looks. But not Tom Cruise, who instead swears that a smearing of bird-droppings on his face is all he needs to stay young.

According to Now magazine, the Rock of Ages star, 49, has told friends that his skin has never looked better thanks to the expensive spa treatment. It involves mixing poo from a nightingale with rice bran and water which is then applied as a face mask.

And a source told the magazine: “Tom doesn’t go in for Botox or surgery but he does pay close attention to all the new natural treatments. He recently started experimenting with the nightingale poo facial after it was recommended by a Hollywood pal and the results have been fantastic.”

Other celebrities believed to be fans of the poo treatment include David and Victoria Beckham, who used to be good friends with Cruise and Holmes. New York beautician Shizuka Bernstein said: “The nightingale poo acts as an exfoliant that brings out the dirt and adds shine.”

[From Daily Mail]

The Mail further hints that Tom got the great idea for rubbing bird excrement on his face from Victoria Beckham, who is allegedly a huge fan of the beauty secret as well. This story, as amusing as it might be, probably isn’t true. The Mail has already written a similar tale about how Gwyneth Paltrow rubs synthetic snake venom on her visage, which Gwyneth has denied. Also, I think stories like this may serve to distract us from Tom’s obvious plastic surgery.

Here’s Katie arriving with a half-untucked shirt at the family home in NYC on 6/27. She obviously no longer gives a crap about how she looks.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet