Catherine Zeta-Jones relishes time with her children

Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones may be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but she says her children – Dylan, nearly 6, and Carys, 3 – are the stars in her eyes.

"My kids and my family give me so much joy. My little boy said last night that he loves me from Bermuda to the space shuttle and back. Things like that put me in a good mood."

With jobs that take them all over the world, Catherine says that she and her husband Michael Douglas try to raise their children as normal as possible.

"Michael and I are as hands-on as we can possibly be. We stay out overnight and camp out with Dylan and swim. It’s just a normal family life. They’re certainly not Hollywood brats by any stretch of the imagination. We keep them grounded. They’re really good kids."

To keep their family together, the couple made a pact that they won’t work at the same time, which meant this past year with Michael committed to various film projects, Catherine was a full-time mom.

"I’ve been being a mother, which is far more work than doing movies. I didn’t want to be away for six months. I literally took a year out. I never was going to get this time back with my children, and it’s a real pivotal time in their lives."

Catherine also shared some insights into how they keep their marriage strong.

"We spent so much time being kind to total strangers just because you want to represent yourself in a good way, and sometimes you neglect or forget to invest in the most important thing in your life, which is your husband or wife – the people you’re going to spend the rest of your life with."

Source: OK! Magazine, June 19, 2006, page 46