It is rare for parents and children to be able to see a play together without one or the other of them feeling that they are performing an act of self sacrifice. Achieving this delicate balance is just the challenge that 24th Street Theatre has given itself as a directive for its new resident company. The theater celebrates its 15th season with a pledge to produce cutting edge theater that can be enjoyed on different levels simultaneously, by adults and children alike. If the current production, Walking the Tightrope, is an indication of what is to come, LA theater lovers have a lot to look forward to.

Sometimes you want to go where no one knows your name, but alas, you have to take the kids with you, so why not have some fun! Going away in the winter is a lovely diversion from the routine that seems all the more routine when it’s dark and cold, and I do love the time away with my sweet family, even if I still have to wipe noses and cut up their meat. The conversations are often more lively, the whining more specific, the happy faces more frequent. It’s a good life.

That Angelina Jolie - what's she's got, 42 kids? And still she looks like Lara Croft. And all those A-list moms who weepingly thank their toddlers during their Oscar acceptance speeches - please! How could they possibly get into those dresses a year after giving birth? The truth is we know the answer: It's good old-fashioned childcare. While those red carpet mamas are going to their daily Pilates and hot yoga classes, someone else is changing their kids' diapers and making their dinner. Taking fitness classes together with our little ones is wonderful for family bonding, but when it's time to get back into our old jeans, we need gyms with childcare. And that's what all of the gyms below have.

The only thing worse than having to go out in the cold is hearing people complain about it. So we're not going to do that. Instead, we'll tell you about our favorite places to play indoors, not just preschooler play spaces but an indoor skatepark and rock climbing gyms that appeal to older kids.

Of course, by the weekend it's supposed to be a balmy 30 degrees, much better weather for outdoor winter activities. Take a day trip to Fairfield, Connecticut to go ice fishing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and of course there are great snow tubing and downhill skiing spots all over the tri-state area. And if you really want to fantasize about getting out of the city (or need to plan a spring break getaway), our Travel site has a review and slide show of the all-inclusive resort Azul Beach Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This past weekend I took Verizon’s new smart phone app, Verizon VZ Navigator, out for a spin on my way from Manhattan to Shelter Island. The app was easy to download and very straightforward to operate. It could access my address book and provide maps of where my friends lived.  It also provided weather and traffic reports, and a directory, almost a complete yellow pages, for all sorts of useful information based on my location.  I could find movie and concert listings, restaurants by cuisine, banks, stores, lodgings and much more all neatly organized by type of venue.  Very handy indeed.  Alas, I then discovered that the “premium” route planning and step by step navigation features only worked on Verizon phones.  Sadly I was locked into an AT&T contract.

This event has reached capacity but don't worry, we'll be hosting additional events soon! Since 2007, we've been telling you about the best things to do and places to go with kids in NYC. Starting this year, we're doing one better: We're planning a series of live events for families at our favorite New York City spots, and our first one is coming up next Friday, February 1 at New York Kids Club.

Join us for a few hours of fun at one of the best places for kids to get their ya-yas out: New York Kids Club. This is a free event but reservations are required. Space is very limited and we expect the event to fill up quickly. But don't worry: We'll be organizing many more events over the next few months. Following us on Facebook is a great way to make sure you get early notification of an upcoming event.

Read on for additional details and RSVP now.