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Regular Secular Mama
United States
Registrace 6. 08. 2021
Welcome to Regular Secular Mama!
I am a seasoned (7th year) homeschooling mama of two mostly-sweet, sometimes-sour kiddos, ages 11 and 13. My homeschool style is fairly eclectic and I stick almost exclusively to secular materials, but my hope is that content shared here is relevant and useful to a wide range of homeschoolers out there! On this channel I'll share homeschooling tips and information as well as a glimpse into our homeschool life, curriculum choices, and more.
Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss any new content.
Business inquiries may be sent to regularsecularmama AT gmail.com or through Instagram messaging.
Thanks for stopping by!
Just a regular secular mama,
Cassie
I am a seasoned (7th year) homeschooling mama of two mostly-sweet, sometimes-sour kiddos, ages 11 and 13. My homeschool style is fairly eclectic and I stick almost exclusively to secular materials, but my hope is that content shared here is relevant and useful to a wide range of homeschoolers out there! On this channel I'll share homeschooling tips and information as well as a glimpse into our homeschool life, curriculum choices, and more.
Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss any new content.
Business inquiries may be sent to regularsecularmama AT gmail.com or through Instagram messaging.
Thanks for stopping by!
Just a regular secular mama,
Cassie
THINKWELL Homeschool Math, Is It Worth It? Honest Review! // Upper Level Math for Busy Families
Need a hands-off math for middle school and high school?
Check out my review to see if Thinkwell Homeschool Math is right for your middle or high school student! In this review I'll share why we switched from Math U See and break down the lessons, format options, and features of Thinkwell's courses. Whether you're new to homeschooling or looking to switch curricula, this video will guide you through the pros and cons of Thinkwell Homeschool Math.
Stick around for the end where I share a huge money-saving tip!
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for notifications.
❤️ Thank you so much for watching!
2:20 - Reasons to switch
4:54 - Looking at options, why thinkwell?
6:13 - Our experience with Thinkwell
9:13 - Peek inside the optional workbooks
11:12 - Changes to Thinkwell
13:06 - Peek at online platform, Legacy version
14:01 - How to save some money!
__________________________________________
📣 Mentioned in this video:
- Thinkwell homeschool math (and science!)
Get 15% off with this link!
thinkwellhomeschoo.refr.cc/default/u/regularsecular
-- Homeschool Buyer's Club
homeschoolbuyersclub.com
__________________________________________
💛 Affiliate links:
- Amazon storefront:
www.amazon.com/shop/regularsecularmama
- Pandia Press: History Quest, History Odyssey, and Real Science Odyssey!
www.pandiapress.com/ref/114/
- Home Science Tools: My favorite place for science materials!
www.homesciencetools.com/?aff=166
- All About Reading & Spelling
www.allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=2698_3
- Better World Books (this link: $5 off order of $30 or more)
i.refs.cc/igPzDl5Q?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo3ODYyMDk1MzB9
- Pango Books (app for buying/selling my used books)
My user handle: @cassandra870836
pangobooks.com/bookstore/cassandra870836
(This video is NOT sponsored by anyone, but some of the links above may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but of course, there is no extra cost involved.)
❤️ Your support means so much! Thank you!
__________________________________________
🎥 Related videos of mine you may find helpful:
- 8th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
czcams.com/video/EeZ17gzALCs/video.html
- 6th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
czcams.com/video/sDyntGcETDk/video.html
- What I SPENT on HOMESCHOOL // How do I budget? // How to SAVE some $$ on Curriculum
czcams.com/video/Tae9I8Xm65Y/video.html
__________________________________________
#thinkwell #homeschoolmath #homeschoolcurriculum
linktr.ee/regularsecularmama
__________________________________________
Music: www.bensound.com
License code: EQ2PDE83JNRPBUSA
Check out my review to see if Thinkwell Homeschool Math is right for your middle or high school student! In this review I'll share why we switched from Math U See and break down the lessons, format options, and features of Thinkwell's courses. Whether you're new to homeschooling or looking to switch curricula, this video will guide you through the pros and cons of Thinkwell Homeschool Math.
Stick around for the end where I share a huge money-saving tip!
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for notifications.
❤️ Thank you so much for watching!
2:20 - Reasons to switch
4:54 - Looking at options, why thinkwell?
6:13 - Our experience with Thinkwell
9:13 - Peek inside the optional workbooks
11:12 - Changes to Thinkwell
13:06 - Peek at online platform, Legacy version
14:01 - How to save some money!
__________________________________________
📣 Mentioned in this video:
- Thinkwell homeschool math (and science!)
Get 15% off with this link!
thinkwellhomeschoo.refr.cc/default/u/regularsecular
-- Homeschool Buyer's Club
homeschoolbuyersclub.com
__________________________________________
💛 Affiliate links:
- Amazon storefront:
www.amazon.com/shop/regularsecularmama
- Pandia Press: History Quest, History Odyssey, and Real Science Odyssey!
www.pandiapress.com/ref/114/
- Home Science Tools: My favorite place for science materials!
www.homesciencetools.com/?aff=166
- All About Reading & Spelling
www.allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=2698_3
- Better World Books (this link: $5 off order of $30 or more)
i.refs.cc/igPzDl5Q?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo3ODYyMDk1MzB9
- Pango Books (app for buying/selling my used books)
My user handle: @cassandra870836
pangobooks.com/bookstore/cassandra870836
(This video is NOT sponsored by anyone, but some of the links above may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but of course, there is no extra cost involved.)
❤️ Your support means so much! Thank you!
__________________________________________
🎥 Related videos of mine you may find helpful:
- 8th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
czcams.com/video/EeZ17gzALCs/video.html
- 6th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
czcams.com/video/sDyntGcETDk/video.html
- What I SPENT on HOMESCHOOL // How do I budget? // How to SAVE some $$ on Curriculum
czcams.com/video/Tae9I8Xm65Y/video.html
__________________________________________
#thinkwell #homeschoolmath #homeschoolcurriculum
linktr.ee/regularsecularmama
__________________________________________
Music: www.bensound.com
License code: EQ2PDE83JNRPBUSA
zhlédnutí: 410
Video
Real Talk // Chat about Curriculum, Self-Care, & Bad Days! // Secular Homeschool Mom Collaboration
zhlédnutí 730Před měsícem
Chat with a lovely group of secular homeschool moms! Thank you so much to Valerie @OurHomeschoolCastle for hosting this collaboration. Be sure to head to this playlist to connect with the other wonderful channels participating! czcams.com/play/PL4IeZmGrAxQbw5VUcqcZXVC83algKuwj5.html&si=5fUvR2UkPkUk4spQ 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and ring the bell for notifications. ❤️ Thank you so much for wat...
NOTION Tips! // How to use Buttons & Templates to Automate your Homeschool Planning
zhlédnutí 294Před měsícem
Using Notion for homeschool lesson planning? This will make your life so much easier, I promise! A viewer commented on another video asking how I was able to create those little template blocks within my Notion pages. Watch here to see: - How Notion has changed the way those blocks work (it’s so much cooler now!) - How to use them to automate some of your homeschool planning and workflow, and -...
6th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 2 měsíci
Curriculum choices, round two! We now have TWO kids in middle school. Crazy right?? Check out what we’ll be using with my 10-almost-11- year-old for our next school year. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for notifications. ❤️ Thank you so much for watching! 📣 Mentioned in this video: - Build Your Library buildyourlibrary.com/overview/ - Schoolnest notebooks amzn.to/3UWClCf - Getty-D...
8th Grade CURRICULUM Picks! // 2024-2025 School Year // Homeschooling TWO kids in Middle School
zhlédnutí 2KPřed 2 měsíci
Curriculum and materials we'll be using for my 13-year-old middle schooler! We are nearing those all-important high school years, but I'm hoping to keep this 8th grade year of homeschool FUN! 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for notifications. ❤️ Thank you so much for watching! 📣 Mentioned in this video: - Build Your Library buildyourlibrary.com/overview/ - Schoolnest notebooks - th...
LIFE UPDATE 2024 // Where have I been the past 8 months?? Trying to balance work and homeschool!
zhlédnutí 883Před 2 měsíci
After a much needed break… Regular Secular Mama is back! There is so little help out there for homeschooling older kids! In the interest of maintaining some semblance of work-life balance, I will not be going full-throttle on this channel. However, I will be getting back into a routine of posting videos as a way to add to the limited pool of homeschool resources for the middle and high school y...
PLAN WITH ME // First Week of School // Plum Paper HOMESCHOOL DIY Disc Planner // NEW Setup!
zhlédnutí 768Před 10 měsíci
Help me assemble my new disc-bound Plum Paper planner! I’ll be putting together all the overview and weekly planning pages that I’ll need for the 2023-2024 school year. This is a DIY weekly lesson plan notebook I’m cobbling together with some pages printed at home, some from Happy Planner, but the bulk of the pages (and the gorgeous planner cover!) come from Plum Paper. Nothing you see here was...
Homeschool PLANNER Unboxing! // DIY Disc-Bound Lesson Planning for Mom and Student
zhlédnutí 298Před 11 měsíci
My order is in! Or it was a few weeks ago 😅 Moving is crazy. Starting a new job is crazy. Doing both at the same time is… not something I recommend! I can’t guarantee how often I’ll be able to upload new videos, but I CAN promise a detailed unboxing now and another video this week showing how I set up my homeschool planner for this school year. Stay tuned! 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit th...
RV Homeschool Setup // Small Space Homeschooling Organization Tips
zhlédnutí 1,7KPřed rokem
It doesn’t get much smaller than an RV! You asked, so here is a tour of most of our RV and how we make the most of our very limited homeschool space. You’ll see where everything is stored, how we get into those weird storage spaces (I’m looking at you bench seats…), and my favorite tips and products for making it work with very little room. Stay tuned because SOON we’ll be moving into our house...
Homeschool Planners // Kids and Mom // How We’ll Frankenplan our Way into the 2023-2024 School Year!
zhlédnutí 986Před rokem
Hope you’re not tired of homeschool planning videos by now! It’s kind of my thing at this point 😂 Niki over at @Homeschoolology has organized an excellent (and timely!) collaboration wherein some of us homeschool CZcamsrs are sharing about our plans for planning the 2023-2024 school year. So… if you plan on planning some way to do your homeschool planning, plan to make your way through this awe...
Something neat I noticed: A simpler option to show progress! #notion #shorts
zhlédnutí 129Před rokem
Here’s how to create those neat little progress bar dots in my #Notion pages! #shorts
zhlédnutí 377Před rokem
Group CURRICULUM Choices // Homeschool 2023-2024 // Collab!
zhlédnutí 1,7KPřed rokem
Wrapping up Curriculum Pick Week! ⏬ Whew! Last up for my curriculum pick videos: Group or Family-style subjects. This is everything I plan to use with my kids as a group as well as some family-learning resources I like to keep on hand for when the interest strikes. ⭐️ BONUS: I included a few things I am hoping to work on for my own learning. Moms can learn, too, ya know! I had a blast hosting t...
7th Grade CURRICULUM Choices // Homeschool 2023-2024 // Collab!
zhlédnutí 3KPřed rokem
It’s CURRICULUM PICK WEEK! Finally! I feel a little late to the game sharing our choices for curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year, but I intentionally waited until helping you through my planning process - Scroll down for a link to the first video in case you missed that video series! I am so happy to be hosting this year’s curriculum picks collaboration! We are sharing videos ALL WEEK on t...
5th Grade CURRICULUM Choices // Homeschool 2023-2024 // Collab!
zhlédnutí 4KPřed rokem
It’s CURRICULUM PICK WEEK! ⏬ Finally! I feel a little late to the game sharing our choices for curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year, but I intentionally waited until helping you through my planning process - Scroll down for a link to the first video in case you missed that video series! ⏬ I am so happy to be hosting this year’s curriculum picks collaboration! We are sharing videos ALL WEEK ...
Has anyone tried both MCT and AOPS Language Arts? Which did you like better and why?
I knew about AOPS for math, but I had no idea they also had language arts. I can’t find anything on it though. Do you happen to have a a link I could check out?
Wow ! Thanks. I like adding educational games , puzzles etc . They learn so much easier. Just not always easy to find
Yes, they can be! I keep a running list of supplement ideas and add to that whenever I come across something that looks good. I keep a list for future BYL levels too, just in case we use them 😉
Thanks for this video! It was very well-done and answered most of my question. Plus the bonus was getting the discount code for the curriculum. However, I have a few questions: (1) How "about" long did it take you r daughter to complete a lesson? (2) Is it possible to just use the teacher's notes to teacher the lessons? My kids dislike video lessons but I love the option of having a back up teacher for days when I can't teach math.
Great questions! (1) I wasn't always around while she did math because she would take a bunch of work to her room. I would say a good solid hour on average? Including the video time. It really depends on what they are working on though; a lesson with video and practice exercises versus a test. (2) If you yourself were strong in math, I suppose you could probably teach the concepts covered in the Notes book. It isn't exactly a teacher guide, though. It is more like notes you might take in class. The appeal for me, and probably most people considering Thinkwell, is the minimal teacher involvement. As always, I highly recommend taking a look at the sample materials ☺️ Thanks for watching!
Did you get the workbook through homeschool buyers club, too? I am not seeing it on the site. Also, is everything available to self print if wanted?
@jenniferdugas985 I ordered the workbooks directly from Thinkwell. You can usually find links to them in the description of the online course. Yes, you can open individual documents for each lesson’s notes and exercises and print them out. At least, that was my experience with Pre-algebra in the legacy system, and it’s my understanding that it would be the same in the new system. It’s not all together in one PDF, though. Hope that helps! 🤗
@@RegularSecularMama I'll look into it once I have the code. Thanks for the heads up on the sale. I was going to buy through thinkwell. Much appreciated.
@jenniferdugas985 You’re welcome!
👋👋👋👋Hello back!! I love how you left in all the interruptions!! LOL. The struggle is real! I must have said "Me too!" like 15 times while watching this! 🤣 I'm going to be using Homeschool Planet next year! I have a video coming out soon on it! I'm really excited to share about it. Thanks for joining today. It was nice to catch up with you!
Yes, it was great! I’ll keep an eye out for your thoughts on Homeschool Planet 😄
My son sounds similar to yours! What really helps him is setting reminders/Routines on the Alexa dot. We have it remind us to do our morning responsibilities, school times, and even meals. He even sometimes tries to get those things complete before it even goes off. Really enjoy the feature
That’s an excellent idea, thank you!!
lol…wouldn’t be a true homeschool mom chat without multiple interruptions 😂
You’re not wrong! 🤣
My 5 year old son was just diagnosed with AuDHD level 2 in Feb. We have been working with therapists and his healthcare team to help with the explosive and aggressive behavior. My favorite thing to have him do is go out to the yard and run tree to tree 10 times. He loves it, gets energy out, and it helps my mental health. During the winter I have him take a scoter up and down the hallway.
Yes, keeping him moving helps!
I feel the big bang😅😅😅 Thanks for sharing
It happens 😅
We have had to limit audiobooks to after school for the same reason. Both of my sons have DX of ADHD, which is definitely a contributing factor. I really relate to this as my children are highly challenging.
I hate to limit books of any kind, but I think we’ll have to do this as well
@@RegularSecularMama same here!
I have planned a video on neurodiverse learning tips. I myself am neurodiverse and so are 4 of my children. This definitely sounds familiar to our household ❤❤
I can’t wait to see it!
I love build your library too! Emily is so great and all of her curriculum is amazing. I do have a friend in Florida who does homeschool evaluations. She’s on CZcams too ❤
I love build your library too! Emily is so great and all of her curriculum is amazing
She really is!
Oh my goodness! Moving is huge! Especially to a different state ❤
Yay!! Thank you for sharing! ❤❤❤
Oh my goodness this is awesome!!! Thank you for posting this. This is what I was curious about. This makes a ton of sense
You are very welcome! 🤗
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely! Notion is fun to play with, even if I don’t really need to use it next year 😆
I'm with you regarding social media. Other than CZcams, I don't use any other. Glad you are back -- you were one of the few secular homeschool moms I found/watched before I started homeschooling.
Thank you for your kind words and for sticking with me! 🤗
Looks like a great year ahead! Funny coincidence, my oldest is learning French and my middle daughter is learning Japanese. I have no idea why they choose them either. LOL Thanks for sharing!
I mean, Spanish just seems so obvious to me but what do I know 🤣 Thanks for watching!
@@RegularSecularMama Right?! These crazy kids 🤣
I'm trying to keep things simpler this year as well! The same thing happens to us with taking too much time off. Looks like you guys have a great year lined up. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! ☺️
My son has been doing Japanese on Duolingo for a few months and is also wanting more for his 8th grade year. I plan to get him Japanese from Zero. It has a book, youtube videos and there is an optional online subscription you can purchase. I have been eyeing them for a few years and they seem to be what most people recommend for homeschool Japanese lessons.
How did you do the template part at 10:36?? where the list is hidden until you click on it? I love this. I wouldn't want you to give us the template just explain how you did it so we can use the pieces that we want.
Great question! I filmed a screen recording on my phone to show you how, but I can’t make a CZcams short that is longer than 60 seconds 🤦🏻♀️ I’ll get on my laptop in a little bit and upload a video showing how to do this!
@kimberlywhitefield1150 I have a new video up now answering this question! Hope that helps 🤗 czcams.com/video/Cd-QYUyIGHg/video.html
I had no idea about the online Getty Dubay worksheet resource! Thank you so much for sharing that!
You’re welcome! I wish I had found it sooner!
I love that you have your kids cook! It's such an important skill, and it often gets overlooked, imo.
Thanks! And yes, it does get overlooked. I thought I was a great cook at 18. I knew nothing 😂
Thanks for explaining the Lit Log so simply! Do you have a video on Thinkwell Math? If not could you make one, please and thank you?
Not yet! I’ll definitely share my thoughts, but I might wait until we’re finished with the course, so keep an eye out 😉
Ive thought about trying her lit logs too, its a great idea.
It’s so simple, and I love simple 🥰
Well Trained Mind Academy online classes. We are doing French 1A with them this year.
I didn’t even think to check there! I know that not everything from them is strictly secular, but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks! ☺️
All the cool kids are using BYL 7 this year 😂 For real though, I think there are like at least 4 of us Homeschool CZcamsrs!!
Wha?? That’s awesome! I wonder if we can do something with that… 🤔
Great video as always! Busuu and Ouino are our go toos for French! Neither is really a "class" style with video lessons though. Ouino doesn't really have videos per-se but the audio is really well done. Busuu has some videos of native speakers but what sold us on it is every few lessons there is a writing/speaking kind of review. It gives you a prompt and you either write or speak your response in French or whichever language you're learning. Once complete you submit it and real people who also use the Busuu app/website that are native speakers for that language comment and correct your text or speech. Granted you don't always get super in depth corrections but we've been using it for over a year and have found we get helpful responses much more often than non-helpful responses. It's very similar to Duolingo with daily streaks, leaderboards, etc. if your kiddo likes those aspects but it just has a lot more features that really help promote learning/retention in comparison to Duolingo.
That really sounds like it would flow very well after IEW SSS!!! What a fantastic way to group everyone together
Ohh we just finished iew sss 1A and have 2A ready to roll
I’m a little worried I’ll regret not having it for them to do independently 😬
@@RegularSecularMama I get that entirely! I’ll have a Kinder dude, two 4 th graders and a 6th grader next school year so I’m trying more video based for the bigs and more hands on for the little. Its def going to be a balancing act of independent work and direct instruction with lots of distractions 🤪
SO many distractions 😂
Yay we have an incoming 6th grader roo
Nice! 👌🏻
I’d love to hear how this curriculum worked for you this year. I’m currently debating RSO vs Science Mom for biology for my 5th and 6th grader.
Well… I have a lot of thoughts on that one 😅 I briefly mentioned it in this video: czcams.com/video/g22A_8eh3D8/video.html I do plan to do a full review at some point, but the super short version is that I loved it, but my daughter didn’t. She doesn’t like any science though. It’s also a lot of moving pieces.
@@RegularSecularMama thanks - that’s helpful to hear.
Great lineup! Thanks for sharing! Heather @Townsendhouse recommends a Japanese curriculum. Her son has loved it and are continuing to use I believe
Oh awesome! I’ll go check it out 😊
Ha! This is our plan too! We did BYL levels 5/6 combined with Blossom and Root over the last three years as well. We’re looking forward to a change and excited to move on to Level 7 for 8th grade! I really enjoy your channel since we use the same curriculum. 😊
That’s perfect that we’re using the same things! Yea three years wasn’t exactly the plan lol. As much as we enjoyed levels 5-6, we’re definitely ready for a change
We really enjoyed level 7 from BYL when we completed it too. I hope you have a great year🩵
Thanks! 😄
OH my gosh your in FL. New sub here. I am very excited to learn from you. What area did you move to?
The East coast 😎 no beach sunsets, unfortunately!
New viewer here! I am really interested in what you use as a working mom for curriculum. I have not found many other homeschool CZcams moms. Please talk about the independent things you do with your children. I have an upper elementary school child (3-5) and work full time so please send help.
You’re a super hero! And keep an eye out, I have curriculum choice videos coming up very soon 😄
Happy to have you back! Can't wait to hear more about how you are getting your students to be more independent learners.
Thank you! 😊
Congrats on your new house! So glad that you are back. I would love to keep seeing homeschool related topics especially for middle and high school years.
Thanks so much! 😄
Welcome back! Definitely looking forward to hearing about History Compass and all things middle school.
Absolutely, thanks for watching! 😄
Welcome back my friend. Happy to see you again 🩵
Thank you so much! 🤗
Lovely seeing your beautiful face :) Thanks for rhe update. We're in similar circumstances this year. I've been too nervous to do an update because I'm not sure what I can commit to. Happy to hear your job and everything is going well.
Well now I said it, so I have to! 🤣
Glad to see you back as well! I have an upcoming 5th grader and appreciate all the middle school videos (curriculum choices/planning). I would also like to hear more about how you get your kids to work independently.
Awesome input, thanks! 😊
As a fellow middle school homeschooler I would love to see any and all middle school/high school resources. Welcome back!
Thank you, and thanks for your input!
Glad to see you back! We tend to use similar curriculum so I’m always interested in your content. I’ll have an 8th grader this coming year so I’m always looking for channels with middle/high school age kids.
Wonderful! Thanks for watching 😄
Welcome back -- as an always homeschooler with teens, I appreciate any older secular content creators so much. <3
It feels like there are so few of us!
Yay! You’re back 😊 The more Middle School content the better!! Also working on planning High School over here (I have an older 7th Grader this coming year, so we will start credits in 8th Grade).
Same here (credits in 8th). We’re already loosely planning high school and talking about college. It’s happening! 😬
Yay! I’m so glad you’re back! My oldest is also going into 8th so I love hearing what is working for you.
Thank you! 🤗
So glad to have you back with us!
Thank you! ☺️
So glad to see you back! There is definitely a need for more content about homeschooling through the middle school and high school years!
Thank you, glad to be back! 😄