A few years ago a very pregnant me went to see the show Stomp. At that time, the show had been touring in the U.S. for about 2 years, 6 years after it first opened in London’s Bloomsbury Theater. When I wobbled into the theater with my 7-month pregnancy belly, it had received 4 Emmys and an HBO feature. But, 1997 was the first time I saw it and I remember wanting to leap out of my seat and dance. I remember laughing and joining in on the fun, interactive “games” between cast and audience, and I remember feeling the little body inside of me move to the very loud noise coming off the stage.

And it is a very loud show. Live shows brought to us by professional drummers, dancers, composers, and actors, Stomp is not only eclectic with its cast, but also in the way it delivers art through sound. With use of brooms, lids, cans, poles, and even sand and boxes of matches, music is born to the amazement of the audience.

I went again just recently, with my son, now 12 years old so that he could experience the one show I saw repeatedly till he was born because he seemed to enjoy it so much while in my womb.

The Orpheum Theater is a small one, one could say there is no bad seat for this show. However, I liked being able to sit closer to the front. Directly in front of the stage. Not good seats for those who may find the banging too loud to be too much or who don’t want the full attention of the cast at one point or another.

Little children might find the loud noises scary at first (in this case it might be good to go to their site and have the child see the video at its absolute loudest volume setting). I however saw many kids in the audience delighted by the tricks for sounds, the dancing and fun on stage. And this is the main reason why I believe children as well as adult will enjoy the show. The energy of the music and of the artists on stage really draw in the audience of all ages. The scene encourages audience participation, something kids will also enjoy.

As for my 12 year old, he didn’t move around in his seat as much as he did in my womb 12 years ago, but he did have a big smile - the same one I imagined he had each time I saw the show before he was born.

Tickets range from $81.00 to $38.00 dollars, and in my opinion, and that of my son, it is worth every penny. I think I will make a few more trips to see Stomp, next time with my other two boys (3.5 and 5) in tow. It’s a great show and even after seeing it so many times several years ago, it still felt exciting to see again.


*This review is based on a complimentary tickets to see Stomp for review purposes. I received no other compensation and nor received any requirements that I express a particular point of view.

During our recent visit to Pico Mountain we placed our 3 year old in the onsite licensed year-round day care program called Kid's Quest.  My husband and I were so pleased with the attention and care provided to my child that I wish the the teachers at Kid's Quest could be his regular preschool teachers.

The daycare was a good size with separate rooms to accommodate the different age groups they cater to, from 3 months to 5 years. The younger age groups, "Tamaracks" are for children 3 months to 3 years, and they have a separate room for them. Well lit, with natural light, they have cribs, and playpens, and enough space to allow for socialization without the distraction of the older, more active children. The little ones have fun enjoying music, floor time, climbing, arts and crafts.

The next group, the "Woodlands" (3 years to 5 years), are in a different room. My son was in this group. Both groups have quiet time/rest time around midday and they have the rooms set up to accommodate this with little sleeping bags.

In addition to providing full-time and part-time day care options, Kids Quest also offers ski lessons for children who are walking. Ski lessons are on a flatter terrain than where the "Mini Stars" take their lessons, though both centers have locations that are uncrowded and safe. The lessons are staggered between two hours both in the AM and PM, and are about 30-40 minutes long, depending mostly on the child's mood and willingness.

My husband and I got a chance to observe our 3 year old with his instructor. Hiding behind a pine tree, we saw how she patiently coached him and gave him confidence. Tears almost came to my eyes when I saw my "baby" coming down a small slope, hands on knees, smiling from ear to ear, no fear. He was so trusting of her, which is so rare, I knew we had made a great choice. My son started referring to his coach as "his best friend".

The rooms were clean, cheerful, and full of activities for the kids.  The staff was helpful, kind, and attentive to all the children and their parents.

They also offer lunch, which is included and consists of pizza, small sandwiches, crackers, fruits, and other healthy choices.

In addition, Kid's Quest offers a Summer camp program for kids from K to 12. If we lived closer, I would definitely bring my child to Kid's Quest. The children enrolled have choices that include water sports, miniature golf, the alpine slide, hiking, rock climbing and arts and crafts. Lunch and healthy snacks are also served with this program.

The program is led by professional outdoor educators and Vermont state child care subsidies are accepted. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis.

If you're at Pico Mountain with a small child, definitely give your child the experience of Kid's Quest. A full day program with ski lessons included was a little over $110 dollars a day, $130 on weekends and Holidays. It is totally worth every penny for the positive experience my child had there.



*This review is based on a complimentary service offered at the Pico Mountain Kid's Quest Child Care Program. I received no other compensation besides the services and lessons at Pico Mountain Ski Resort and dat care center did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.

This is a great play to take the kids, especially on cold, rainy days like the ones we've been having lately in NYC. There tons to do. The second level has tons of exhibits in place, they host educational demonstrations, have a party room for birthdays, and have a slew of interactive themes and shows throughout. On the other side of the Science Hall is the library, as well as a play area for smaller children.

The New York Hall of Science often hosts events as well.

We spent a good portion of our day here on our last visit and had a wonderful time. I still felt that we didn’t cover all there was to see and do, and now with new upcoming exhibitions, there is even more to discover in our next visit.

But if it’s a nicer day, and the kids are STILL feeling restless, there is also a playground, The Corona Golf Playground, right across the avenue from the New York Hall of Science, which we also visited and really complimented our day out.

During our recent trip to Killington, VT to visit Pico Mountain, we also had the opportunity to drive through the main road in Killington where many businesses and restaurant cater to the many visitors that visit, especially during the snow season.

The town of Killington, VT is about 4 hours and 40 minutes from Upper Manhattan where we live. If you take I-87, it requires more tolls, but a lot less traffic than the other routes.

We arrived at Pico Mountain around 8:30PM and though the resort itself was closed down till next day, the town had a few good places to spend the time, like local bars and restaurants.

Since we were traveling with three very hungry children (3, 4, and 12) we needed something family-friendly, inexpensive, and fast. We stop at Domenick's Pizzeria.

This small pizza place was very family-friendly. There's a small bar at the corner, where they had the sports game, next to a smaller fireplace helping to create a cozy ambience. There were a lot of families with small children and the wait staff was really welcoming of our hyper boys, which made us all feel at ease right away.

The pizza was delicious (the wings were good, but not their specialty for sure). At about $11 for a small pie to about $16 for a larger one, the prices were moderate and what you would expect for a ski resort area.

Bottom line, we thought Domenick's was reasonably priced. The accept cards which saved us the hassle of having to find an ATM. The customer service and pizza are its greatest appeal, and the food was reasonably priced. I would highly recommend traveling families to stop by and order a pie. We especially liked the white pizza from their specialty menu.

A couple of weekends ago we visiting Pico Mountain, in Killington, VT for a family ski trip. Except for my husband no else in our family had ever been skiing before.

We traveled with our 12, 4, and 3 year old sons. My 12 year old had done some snowboarding, but very little, and the younger ones had never even been to a ski resort.

The resort offers both a day care and a ski lesson program.

My 4 year old participate in the Mini Stars Slide and Play program, a ski lessons program set for kids ages 4 to 6. The program starts at 8:30AM, and we never managed to get there that early, which might have interfered a bit with the schedule.

Both the day care for the younger children and the ski lessons program were near each other so it was very easy to drop the children off where they needed to be.

The site was clean and spacious. All the equipment was clearly labelled and the check in wasn't too much of a hassle. There was always a staff member around to greet anyone that walked in.

However, we were hurried through the process of getting my 4 year old geared up and ready to go outside with the other kids for lessons on both days we were there. Things were a bit smoother on the second day, but on the first day the hurried drop off did not help my 4 year old son feel comfortable with all the new faces and being left alone. As a result, he was as any child would be in a unfamiliar environment and hesitant to jump right in with the others.

We found the Team Leader for the Mini Stars program to be amazing at getting everyone organized and out the door, but she seemed to lack an understanding of how to help really young children adjust to what could be an intimidating situation to a preschooler. I thought she was nice overall, but found her to be unsympathetic and confused as to why my 4 year old son would not warm up to a group of strangers, in a new environment. I was taken a back when she asked if my son had "health" issues, insinuating that maybe he had some mental issue or learning disability. She asked me this both days I saw her, and on the second day I was quite upset by it. The other children in the group were mostly children of local residents who frequent the program.

Despite my initial worries on how he might've been perceived or treated, my 4 year old spoke fondly of his friends and his experience, even after a rough start on his first day at ski school. I watched behind a bush as he fell on the snow at one point, got up, arranged his little skis so that they were parallel to one another and snapped his boots right in without any assistance. I also watched as he slid down a small slope, a smile full of pride and sheer joy on his face. It was incredible to watch.

Despite my initial reservations, he had a great time, though I would hope that better training is offered to the Team Leader on how to deal with the children who aren't regulars, and who might respond shyly or with hesitance upon their initial arrival to the program.

2 full-days at Mini-Stars for 4 year old estimated total cost: $260.00 ($109 non-peak/$129 peak). Half days are $80 non-peak/$90 peak. I found the value of the program in general to be worth it. My son was learning the basics quickly and the instructors were very nice.

Bottom line, I was recommend that you arrive very early so that if this is your child's first experience, they have time to acclimate a bit to their environment before they are taken out to the slopes. My 4 year old loved his "school" and often asks to return, so that and having seen how he handled himself with the skis makes it an overall good experience for us.

This review is based on a complimentary visit to the Mini Stars Slide and Play Program in Pico Mountain. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.