While dad’s away…

Jennifer Garner and her daughter Violet are making the most of having the house to themselves.

While dad Ben Affleck is shooting in Boston, the pair spent the weekend in their pajamas!

WENN caught up with the mischievous duo sneaking out on Sunday morning for a trip to Starbucks.

Sometimes it’s hard being a glamorous film star and young mother at the same time.

After weeks of being stuck in her mum-uniform of T-shirts and jeans, the actress slipped into a saucy black cocktail dress on the LA set of her movie, Valentine’s Day — only for a wardrobe malfunction to reveal the secret behind her slim physique…. spanx!

Sorry we couldn’t spare your blushed Jen — but WENN’s photographers get everywhere!

Sure, in our jaded, adult minds Jennifer Garner looks ridiculous in this photo, but to kindergarteners she’s the best substitute teacher ever!

The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past star, joined by celebri-mom Pat, read to a classroom of children to launch the 2009 State of World’s Mothers report, which we hope will provide a judicial tribunal to try our moms for all those guilt trips and subtle hints about grandchildren.

Peep the lingering bruise on her right knee from a “biff” while jogging last week.

Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Jennifer Garner sported a chic black dress — and cuts and bruises on her knees and elbows.  The injuries look painful, but Garner bravely sallied forth to appear on David Letterman’s Late Show regardless.

Apparently Garner took a spill earlier this month, and while she tried not to cry in front of daughter Violet Affleck, 3, she did shed a few tears in private.

Garner told Letterman, “Isn’t it just a nightmare? Violet said, ‘Mama, did you cry?’ and I said, ‘I did cry a little bit, it really hurt,’ and she said, ‘I want to see you cry again.’”  Jeez, kid.

Letterman then produced some antibiotic cream from his desk and applied it to Garner’s cuts, before the actress snagged the stuff and stored it down the top of her dress for later use, adding, “I went down hard!”

You know, we don’t wish this on the Alias star, obviously, but it’s one of the reasons Garner is such a likable celeb: she does undignified stuff now and then that we would totally do, or have done.  Not to be all “stars — they’re just like us!” about it or anything, because usually, they aren’t, but Garner is the rare superstar who seems like she also doesn’t wear white to eat Italian food.

Star of upcoming romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Matthew McConaughey took time out from enjoying a performance at the Surfrider Art and Music Festival in Malibu, CA on Sunday to snap a picture of girlfriend Camila Alves and their son Levi.

McConaughey recently told People.com at a GoGP press event that, while he admires how co-star Jennifer Garner and her husband Ben Affleck  keep things running smoothly with two kids, and he respects marriage as an institution, he has no short-term plans to get married.