Private schools just had their Spring Break and public schools have theirs coming up and as we're waiting for the weather to warm up, we've got vacations on the brain.

Have you ever been stuck with a family vacation that actually seemed like more work than not being on vacation? If you are used to having childcare, a family vacation can be a shocking experience. It's not something that most people want to admit, and of course we all love spending lots of time with our kids, but hard-working parents need some real down-time too or they're going to have their own little melt-downs that no binky can fix.

Taking a babysitter on vacation with you might seem like a huge luxury, but sometimes luxuries are really necessities. But wanting to take a baby sitter on vacation with you and actually doing it are two different things, two things with lot of steps in between, like how much to pay and how to find a sitter who will travel with you, etc. The experts at Sittercity have shared some tips with us on how to make the fantasy a reality.

In March we've had a lot of very popular posts. While the 100 Things to Do with Your Kids in NYC is still the most popular post on the site for the third month in a row, the Camp Guide has been getting almost as many viewers. We added a couple more posts to the Camp Guide this month and will continue to add as we post related content.

Who has time to read? We've rounded up the top stories you don't want to miss from the NYC media this week.

Toxic Toys. A PBS Now program talks about the dangerous chemicals in many plastic toys, not just ones from China. Watch the episode online.

Buy the NYC Toilet Map for only $2.50??”a must-have for the potty training years. ??”NewYorkology

This week, a toy and clothing swap, a contest to name the Riverside Park Hawks, a chance to meet Mo Willems, and a fun way to learn physics. All free. Plus some cool, off-beat activities and concerts worth the price. And don't forget the free Elf Tennis demo classes on Sunday.

I haven't done an archive post in a while and it's too bad, because looking back on the posts from last March there a ton of good ones. In fact, I just updated the POPULAR POSTS list over in the left sidebar with some new, great old posts like Useful Links for School Hunts, An Overview of the Preschool Admissions Process, and more.

But today's post is a great list of alphabet books. Unique, artistic alphabet books have become very trendy lately. These ones all celebrate the alphabet through urban environments:

The Big Swim
April 12, 2008
The Big Swim is a one-of-a-kind open swim meet where 1,000 New York City children ages 6-16 participate in a free day of competitive swim races. Each child experiences the excitement of a real race with starting blocks, officials, and a timed finish. Races are all supervised by lifeguards and swimming Asphalt Green aquatics staff. This event has been recommended to me by other parents who said that your child does not need to be an very strong swimmer to have a great time. The environment is not competitive and each child goes home a winner with a medal, a photo with Olympians, a t-shirt, and a goody bag.

The Big Swim takes place on April 12, 2008, but registration forms must be received by March 30th. For more information on the meet, call 800.NYC.SWIM (800.692.7946) or go to the website to register online.

Asphalt Green's The Big Swim
555 East 90th Street
New York, NY 10128

YMCA Splash Week
April 21-25, 2008
The YMCA of Greater New York is hosting a week of free swimming lesson during their Splash Week to promote water safety for kids and families. During Splash Week local YMCA branches will be offering free half-hour swimming lessons to anyone aged 3 and up. Yes, there will even be free adult swimming classes as well as lifeguarding classes for anyone who's dreaming of getting a job as a lifeguard this summer. You won't find any information about Splash Week online. You must visit or call your local YMCA branch to find out the schedule of classes, but if you don't know where the nearest YMCA branch is you can find it at the YMCA website. Participating branches can be found in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island.

If you're looking for swimming classes for read our swimming classes post. It includes mommy and me swimming classes and classes for older children as well.

Tennis is a great sport for NYC kids. There are free tennis courts all over the city and you can play inside during the colder months. Now tennis is even more accessible to it's littlest players thanks to Elf Tennis and it's creator Esther Forrester. Esther, a former Division I college tennis player with over 10 years of experience teaching tennis to adults and children, has developed a new method of teaching tennis perfect for children as young as 3 years old.

What is the Elf Tennis secret? First they start with oversized foam balls and smaller nets to help smaller children get into the game and love it. But classes also focus on the 4 Fs: Fun, Fitness, Friendship and Fundamentals of tennis. Sounds like a winning combination to me.

Can't keep up with all your reading? Here's the top news stories and fun links from last week:

If you haven't watched Barak Obama's Speech on Race, you must do so now. Right now.

Public Health Risk Seen as Parents Reject Vaccines. Where do you stand???”NY Times