Two weeks ago my husband and I dropped off our six-year-old son, Jack, and his grandmother at the airport. My mother had flown in from California to pick him up and take him back to her house in California. Jack was on his way to enjoy a month at “Camp Nana and Papa Bear” (as they're affectionately called).
Going off to camp – or anywhere for a long period of time - is a rite of passage for many children in America, but this was a totally new experience for my family. Emotions were high as my husband, daughter and I left the airport…with a noticeably quieter car. I looked back to see Jack standing on the curb with Nana, both of them smiling back at us. As my eyes started to tear behind my sunglasses, Jack’s arms were excitedly waving goodbye.
My little Jackieboy would be gone for four weeks, until we went out there to pick him up. Count them -- four! Did we really just decide to let him go for that long? What if he wanted to come home before we went out there to meet him?
Lenny, who is a member of the TODAY show "family" and has been on the Plaza almost every morning for 15 years, is celebrating a birthday today! Send him your birthday wishes! Read more about Lenny!
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Waking up early for our show isn't always easy. Here is a picture that Ashley Tisdale posted to her Twitter page of her band taking a nap in our green room. She writes, "...looks like my band hasn't gotten their beauty sleep." CONTINUED >>
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Everyone loves a good cup of joe.
But, let's face it -- it's always best to grab your daily dose of java with a good friend. And it's even better if you're with someone who has an interesting story to share!
Our anchors here at TODAY are lucky enough to interview some of the biggest newsmakers in the world, prompting this week's Getting to Know TODAY question: If you could have a cup of coffee with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?!
Be sure to post your thoughts below -- who would you choose to grab a cup of coffee with? Would you choose President Obama? Or maybe Kirk Cameron sounds like a good match? Don't forget to add your ideas for future "Getting to Know TODAY" questions as well. Hopefully we'll pick yours.
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family!
Have a great week!
-A.M. in the A.M.
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Ann and Meredith are "on vacation" in Lake George, N.Y. , this morning. Here are a few pics from Ann's blackberry:CONTINUED >>
It is pretty clear that Katy Perry loves fruit. Credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew :57 in this video .
From TODAYshow.com video editor/producer Becca Field
I knew I was in for an adventure when I stepped into the Brooklyn loft and saw a plastic cage filled with chirping crickets. And that was just the beginning…
While working on a story about people who eat bugs, my colleague and I met Marc Dennis, a bug chef and founder of Insects Are Food , an organization that encourages the practice of eating insects.
Our enthusiastic interviewee pulled our soon-to-be lunch out of the freezer and showed us bags full of dead crickets, meal worms and ant eggs. I wanted to back out of my brave declaration that I would try his bug meal.
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Chef Tyler Florence posted this picture of the delicious dessert he made on Thursday's show to his Twitter page . A snapshot captured in our studio, you can learn how to make it yourself here .
If you try the
recipe , let us know what you think. Read more about Martha on her
blog .
After discovering Susan Boyle was a huge Donny Osmond fan, TODAY and America's Got Talent got in touch with Donny, who had a surprise for the British singing sensation. Osmond made the following prediction: that the two will record together and even re-make his famous ballad, "Puppy Love."
Watch the segment
We had some fun with an illustration of what may be the next big show in Las Vegas. You can learn more about the Donnie & Marie show
here .
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In her exclusive interview with Susan Boyle, Meredith did an impromptu duet with the singing sensation.
TODAY producers and authors of "Today's Moms," Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo have joined the "momversation.
Along with Heather Armstrong of dooce.com coolmom.com
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If you are one of the millions of people on Twitter, you might be familiar with how to use a hashtag and be a part of a community-driven discussion.
"#lameclaimtofame" seemed to be very popular and we noticed several
people sharing "lame claims to fame" that involved our
show. @texashealth_tom : I was part of the "crowd" behind Willard Scott for a 1989 Today show weather report from Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. #lameclaimtofame #fb@Tagabolt : Matt Lauer wished me a happy 21st birthday. #lameclaimtofame@lizlotz : I was on the Today Show playing miniature golf. Cut away to shot of Bryant Gumbel looking perturbed. #lameclaimtofame@heyKasi : #lameclaimtofame i was on the Today Show right behind Matt Lauer and yelled out 'hey mom'@zhandlen : I was on the Today show once. #lameclaimtofame
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Everyone knows how much Meredith loves her dog, Jasper. So, in this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: If Jasper could talk, what would he have to say?
Be sure to post your thoughts below -- what do you think Jasper would have to say about Meredith? Her cooking can't be that bad, can it? What would your pooch say about you?
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family!
Have a great week!
-A.M. in the A.M.
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Meredith Vieira will be traveling to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue where she will interview President Barack Obama.(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Over the weekend, Maria Menounos showed off her green thumb and posted the following pictures of her garden to her Twitter page . She writes about the zucchini pictured below, "Its bigger than my torso!!!"CONTINUED >>
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Go to
his page to see what else he had to say...
While Leigh, Nick, the bridesmaids, and the groomsmen glowed — there were a few other standout style stars, like Leigh's mother, Jan. The mother of the bride looked stunning in a shutter pleat tiered dress by Adrianna Papell . And for those of you who asked about Hoda's dress, it's by Nicole Miller . Inspired by my Payless find, I wore a dress by Lela Rose, whereas Natalie wore a teal dress by Celine, or as she likes to call it — "an oldie but a goodie" from about three years back.Related: Watch Nick and Leigh's wedding ceremony
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From TODAY correspondent Jill Rappaport can do things that will make your jaw drop . And an if you are an animal lover like me, you will absolutely fall in love with her.
Grab your gummies...oh, and your tapioca pudding too!
It's 4:30 here in the offices and I think everyone could use a little pick-me-up. I've seen my colleagues pig out on some cheesecake to quench that sugar fix. Others opt for a half-price afternoon cup of joe.
National Gummi Worm Day ! If that doesn't do it for you, grab a spoon and dig into some Tapioca Pudding...because it's Tapioca Pudding Day , too.
Some pictures from @sarahaines who adds, "Who says early morning weddings aren't fun."
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One of the biggest superstars in the world, David Beckham, stopped by our studio today .
Beckham talked about his return to the U.S., "Bruno" and his new tattoo. He even offered some marital advice to our wedding couple .
While you may recognize him for wearing very little in the Armani underwear ad...
...the soccer superstar wore a suit and tie for his interview with Matt.
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The Summer Concert Series is in full swing! From No Doubt's exciting reunion to the Black Eyed Peas' performance of their No. 1 hit, "Boom Boom Pow," to Daughtry rockin' our plaza this morning ...the 2009 Summer Concert Series has already proven to be a big success.
There's nothing quite like a free concert in the middle of New York City, so it's no wonder fans line the streets for days in advance with hopes of being in the front row. Rain or shine, people will tent up on 48th St. in anticipation of Friday morning's concert. But have any of our TODAY anchors ever camped out for a front row concert seat?
In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: Would you ever wait in line for more than a day for a concert?
As always, check the allDAY blog every Tuesday to learn the latest answers to all your burning questions about the TODAY family!
Have a great week...rock on!
-A.M. in the A.M.
But lo and behold, like a ray of sunlight shining down on your local Payless shoe store, therein lies the answer. CONTINUED >>
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A look behind the scenes from @alroker and @sarahaines .
If you have missed any of the concerts this year, you can watch them
here .
For a quick moment this morning, it really didn't look like July.
Instead of showing a live shot of the Plaza, the control room broadcast a snowy shot from winter!
Can you still recite every line to that song you sang in your third grade concert? Do you color-code your pen collection? Well, you know what, you pen-organizers of the world...that's OK -- especially today, Embrace-Your-Geekness Day! Sara Haines is OBSESSED with the card game Solitaire. She has been forced to set her iPhone down in the hair & make-up room, because it's such a distraction.
A story from WLBZ , our affiliate in Bangor, Maine, that makes what we do all worth it.the full report Vessey saw on TODAY .
Today's look behind the scenes from @sarahaines and a few fans of @thefray out on the Plaza.
During this morning's segment about celebrating the 1970s , you got to see pics of Matt and Al during the days of disco:Send us your best .
The Fray woke up early to play the Plaza this morning. On the band's Twitter page (
@thefray ), Dave Welsh posted the following pic.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
A look behind the scenes from @sarahaines .
By country singer Martina McBride
I am going to New York City to sing for the TODAY wedding! It is July 15 and I'm very excited to be singing my new single, “I Just Call You Mine,” for the lucky couple, Nick and Leigh. In light of this, TODAY asked me to write a blog about my thoughts on marriage.
I've been married to the same man, John McBride, for 21 years. When people ask me the secret to staying married, the most obvious answer is that I chose well. Or got lucky, depending on how you look at it.
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This morning, Matt and Natalie told you about the newest YouTube sensation -- Evian's roller-skating babies. Check out the full video:This isn't the babies' world debut, however. Before they were skaters, the Evian babies were synchronized swimming stars in a 1998 commercial:
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Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint will be on TODAY this Friday to talk about the July 15th release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." In the meantime, check out two clips from the movie:
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No one will soon forget Matt's unfortunate run-in with the deer. Not only did he miss some time on TODAY and undergo surgery ... but he faced countless jokes around the office and on the show for quite some time.
Now, I'm not saying he made the whole story up, but was it really a deer? And if it was, he could've come up with a story better than a bike accident! So, I decided to do some sleuth work around the office and show off true "journalistic chops" -- I went ahead and interviewed Matt's co-anchors at TODAY to get the truth behind this little run-in once and for all!
In this week's "Getting to Know TODAY," we ask the TODAY family: What's the true story behind Matt and the deer accident?
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As first seen on the this morning’s show, the book jacket of Dan Brown’s much-anticipated novel was revealed today
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Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
TwitPics this morning from @sarahaines .
Performing on the Plaza this morning , Rob Thomas took this picture from the stage and posted it to his Flickr page.
We have been getting a lot of reactions from you about the tragic death of Michael Jackson.
One viewer, Helen Todd from Cleveland, Ohio, sent us the following screen grab that she captured from Matt's exclusive interview with Jermaine Jackson.
In the image, Helen claims she sees Michael's ghost over Jermaine's right shoulder.
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
Credit: Giacinta Pace/NBC News
