It grew on me. My kids loved it and now I do too. I had never heard of it and had no expectations. We just picked it off the holiday shelf at the library around Thanksgiving. We only read it during November, we bake the cranberry bread. It's still not my favorite but we only read explicitly holiday books the month of that holiday so it is a great special occasion Thanksgiving read.

My preschoolers like Bonjour Les Amis (3 videos from the library). We enjoy this one (though even having been fluent 10 years ago I had to write most out and translate) http://www.amazon.com/Songs-French-Children-Various-Artists/dp/B00005CEP5/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1311734993&sr=8-7 and this one is great for French vocab http://www.simplesongs.com/

We are just about to enter K but have been doing AAS, OPGTR, Singapore & RightStart on our own during preschool. I want my DC's to have a very solid reading, writing & math background. We will focus on that for afterschooling. Our local PS are well-regarded and score highly, but I didn't want to wait a few years to see what that actually meant for my children. However, for the time being we will rely on PS for handwriting, science, music/art/PE, and the social aspects. If PS does as well as I do with the 3 R's then we'll phase out afterschooling. If everything is a disaster, we'll homeschool. For now this is a good balance.

We do new material 3-4x/week but I do a few spelling words or dictation phrases every day for practice.

We don't use the tiles often, though when we do they are very helpful. Usually to practice and distinguish between different blends, beginnings and endings. You could start with what you have and if that isn't enough then invest in the AAS ones.

We use manipulatives with Singapore, usually tilles and also the abacus.

We use Singapore Essentials A&B. After starting B (which really gets into addition and subtraction) we are supplementing with RightStart A, particularly the games.

I'm doing a Scooby Doo Mystery party this summer, emphasis on Mystery. I am sending the invitations in mirror image printing. Some printers can do it with a click of the properties box. For others, you can create the mirror image using WordArt.

I also made little cards for my 2.5 YO twins while DD5 does AAS. When they are looking for more than just handling their own cards, we make a game of "find the A, find the B" etc. while I focus on DD5's lesson.

My DD5 was at Lesson 200 in OPGTR when we started AAS1. It took her 6 weeks. We are 1/2 way through AAS2 after 5 weeks. It is worth going through the beginning even though most went quickly. The parts she got stuck on I would have been stuck on too, as far as explaining spelling rules. I have no idea how to plan for this though I assume we will slow down soon. However, it was worth starting at the beginning for the solid foundation.

L'Oreal Kids has a good detangler. We also use a separate conditioner when washing her hair which makes a huge difference. I also comb more than once a day. When the hair is smooth, it is quick, easy & painless. Doing it 2-3x a day helps keep it tangle free.

My DD5 is nearly done with Essentials and RS A. I've just ordered 1A & 1B and we will move on when she finishes Essentials. If she gets stuck, we will go back to RS games.

I also separate the abacus, card games, extra cards & tiles. I keep things for the upcoming week's lessons in a separate box as well so they are ready.

Don't give it up forever though. The first time I tried 10 years ago it was a hard, boring push through the never-ending Book 1. I couldn't stand to continue. When I revisited it through TWEM lists I enjoyed it much more (though still skimmed parts).

We are 1/2-way through Level 2. I rely on the green cards and spelling lists. We use the tiles only for concepts my DD found tricky (e.g. when to use C / K / CK). She prefers a spelling notebook to just write in. We bring out the tiles every 5-6 lessons or so as a change of pace and so she can manipulate the letters easily. I do not follow the script either. I have 2.5 YO twins who take great interest in the tiles and it is a pain to set it all up and shoo them away during each lesson. However, the times we do need the tiles it has made a big difference and I am glad to have them on hand.

I use both RS & Singapore. Singapore is our primary book and sets the agenda. I use the abacus as a manipulative and the RS games for extra practice as needed.

We also moved along and just kept reviewing. We are halfway through AAS2 now and DD has nearly mastered the phonograms.

We usually have three 10-15 minute sessions a day now with my rising K'er. Right after meals works best for her. Whatever lesson looks most challenging goes after breakfast. We are finishing OPGTR, reading Bob and Frog & Toad books, doing AAS and alternating Singapore Essentials and Rightstart A. I also do history books for read alouds during the day and my kids like the Jim Weiss cds.

I have been afterschooling my DD's pre-K year while she had preschool 3x/week. We will continue in the fall when she starts kindergarten. I also have almost 3YO b/g twins who are eager to start doing something. My focus is math, reading, writing and history. Our school district is good and the elementary school is great but I want to be sure math, reading & writing are as solid as possible.

Also consider which offers the better program. My DD5 was in an ultimately bad fit dance class when she was 3. The 4YO class at a new studio this past year was wonderful and one of the best classes of any activity category (the teacher has been at it there 20 years). This Spring we also tried gymnastics which she enjoys too. Physically, they are both good. The dance class though, is a better outlet for girl-ness and the recital experience was wonderful. But for us a well-taught class at a studio which is a good fit (in our case, not grooming them to become MTV back-up dancers by middle school) is as important, if not more, than the actual activity.

You might be able to just start with Essentials B too. My 4.5 YO went through A very quickly (in a few weeks) but we are slowing down with B doing actual addition/subtraction problems and the number bonds. We also use RightStart for the games which helps reinforce and keep going on math when she has had enough of a workbook.

In 2004, after finishing grad school and assuming I was done with formal education, I started thinking about the idea of the Renaissance Man which had always appealed to me. I found Dorothy Sayers' Lost Tools of Learning and then discovered TWTM. Classical education described what I had long been interested in for myself, and definitely for my children. I grew up reading a lot of pre-20th century books and the people in them were always quoting or studying Latin, reading Great Books type classics, etc. I wondered why I never did in school.

Our routine revolves around mini-routines and pre-requisites. My kids all have to be dressed before they come downstairs to eat breakfast so they usually get up and get dressed right away. The 5YO makes her bed. After breakfast they clear dishes and we do some schooling. Snacks and meal-times are fairly set at 8 breakfast, 10 am snack, noon lunch, 1pm Quiet Time/TV, 3pm snack. Straightening up, errands, or work they aren't thrilled with is usually done right before snack or TV so they are really motivated to finish up.

Check out these song cd's - Songs in French for Children by Les Quatres Barbus and Simple Songs that Teach French.

My oldest is in K but I have been thinking about this since before she was born and I first read TWTM. I have end of HS milestones - AP Calculus & Sciences, Latin and French language fluency, Great Books. Then I worked backwards, roughly. Only the next 2 years are planned in any detail, with the upcoming year fully planned out.