I'm going to be making a "paint" using gel colors and vodka for the first time... my concern is ... do i have anything to worry about with it being alcohol and having kids there??? is there something else i can use instead of vodka??? and also can you taste that you used vodka on the fondant???

The vodka will evaporate out. That's why vodka works better than thinning the gel color with water. You can't taste it at all once it's dry, and it doesn't smell like alcohol either.

You can use clear vanilla extract or lemon extract instead if you'd rather. Most of us use vodka because it's a lot cheaper in the long run.