The path is yours to choose.
This is going to be way too philosophical, sorry. The truth is you need to pick the path. There is a demand for everything you listed as possible avenues. I personally think the key is to pick one and learn it. I see many postings for VB.Net and C#. No one can tell you how much time to put in or what technology will fit your learning style or blend well with your creativeness.
Thoughts: subscribe to mailing lists for a given technology, is anyone in your company doing what you think you want to do - talk to them, spend some time in Borders reading, and finally - prioritize. Those of us with families sacrifice family time for career and we are constantly bombarded with guilt from every angle to spend more time with "me" (work and home). JJ mentions shutting your brain off when you get home - nope, but, we can't ignore the family either and somewhere in there is sleep. Decide how much you can give to each and accept the results. There are the 80 hour-a-week guys that family guys cannot compete with and there are the 40 hour-a-week guys we can crush with enthusiasm alone. That typically make us neither exceptional nor mediocre, but, certainly less noticeable.
As far as "feeding the family" goes, an "expert" in almost any field will do well financially.
