Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Between Series and Tour, Donnie Wahlberg Squeezed for Family Time/The Wacky Celebrity Baby Names Just Keep on Coming

Donnie Wahlberg has been finding personal time hard to come by in recent months, as he's been pouring himself into preparing for the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys tour that launches May 25 — while at the same time keeping up with his demanding "Blue Bloods" shooting schedule.

"Family time pretty much fills in the rest," says the divorced father of 18- and 9-year-old sons, Xavier and Elijah. He regularly spends nights and weekends with his boys, he says, and "usually, they'll tag along" on his rehearsals and band meetings.

Wahlberg says his 9-year-old, in particular, "loves to come around, be a part of the process, see the guys and talk to them." His favorite New Kid is apparently Jon Knight, from what Wahlberg tells us.

Will Elijah go into the entertainment realm, too?

"I hope so, I guess. I'm not sure," Wahlberg says. "He's in the fourth grade and has never gotten a B in his life — all A's. He's very, very smart. Very mature. He'll be going to college."

Wahlberg has been putting his own brainpower to the test with his long stint of double duty. He notes, "With my music career, I'm one of the executive producers, I could say — like a writer-executive-producer-actor all in one on the music side. On 'Blue Bloods,' I'm just an actor. I go to work, act, do what I love, and I don't have to be in charge of all the big decisions. So I'm sort of like an employee on one side, a boss on the other. I learn from each side, how to be a leader and how to be a good employee. It's fun, and it gives me a great sense of balance and humility, quite frankly."

Tonight's (5/13) season finale of "Blue Bloods" has his police detective Danny Reagan and the rest of the law enforcement-filled clan headed by Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) finally going head to head with the group of corrupt cops responsible for the death of Danny's brother Joe. Wahlberg says the episode, "The Blue Templar," is the most emotional ride yet for viewers of the acclaimed series, which has had his character on a veritable roller coaster of emotional stories for weeks.

Wahlberg — whose many credits range from the award-winning "Band of Brothers" miniseries to the grisly "Saw" films, with series work including "Boomtown" in between — tells us he has found himself happier as an actor on "Blue Bloods" than any other acting assignment before.

HEY, BABY — WHAT'S YOUR NAME?: Thanks to all the celebrities out there who keep us entertained with such, um, creative baby names.

Bryan Adams' new daughter, Mirabella Bunny — whose name was inspired by the Easter You-Know-What — and Alicia Silverstone's new son, Bear Blu, could be characters in a new children's book. Then we have Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's new twins with names that have a geopolitical ring — Moroccan and Monroe. And Antonio Sabato Jr.'s new son, Antonio Kamakanaalohamaikalani Harvey Sabato III. (The THIRD? Really?)

These new entries join the ever-lengthening list of celebrity baby names that range from fanciful to audacious to just plain weird. The sheer volume of such names makes it evident that among many famous folk, the ceaseless quest to demonstrate one's creative genius extends to bestowing look-at-me! (meaning the parent) monikers upon innocent newborns.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter is Apple, you'll recall, and Bronx Mowgli Wentz is the son of Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson. Jermaine Jackson has a child named Jermajesty.

Oh, jes, Jermajesty.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver advocates eating healthy food, but poured excessive sugar on his daughters' names — Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo. Speaking of sweet, the late British television personality Paula Yates had three children with rocker Bob Geldof — Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom and Little Pixie. She also had a daughter with the late INXS front man Michael Hutchence — Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.

Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf named their son Pilot Inspektor, a name assuring him a future with the gas kompany. Banjo? Audio Science? A twangy musical instrument and a course in electronics, you might say. Well, yes, but those are also real names, selected by actresses Rachel Griffiths and Shannyn Sossamon, respectively.

Sylvester Stallone's five children share his monogram. He has Sage and Seargeoh with his first wife, and Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet with Jennifer Flavin. If that seems a tad narcissistic, it's nothing compared to George Foreman, who named his sons George Jr., George III, George IV, George V and George VI, and one of his four daughters Georgetta. Foreman likes to joke that he can't remember his sons' names.

Cool or strange? You decide: Erykah Badu and Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) named their kid Seven Sirius. Toni Braxton's son is Denim. Elle MacPherson's son is Aurelius Cy. Rob Thomas' baby is Maison — house in French. Ving Rhames' kids are Reignbeau and Freedom. Tea Leoni and David Duchovny named their baby Kyd — easy to remember, as in "Hey, Kyd!" John Cougar Mellencamp's son is Speck Wildhorse. Penn Jillette's 5-year-old daughter is Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette. Hard to believe that never caught on.

To be fair, there are hard-to-digest names aplenty out in the non-celebrity world, too. After all, it wasn't a famous person who had his name legally changed to Trout Fishing in America. It's a wonder no celebrity has latched on to that one yet.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM