cousins

As I linked in the last post, I realized that Jessica Van Liew is actually considered my 2nd cousin, not my 3rd, as I had supposed and said since I was very young. Okay, so see if this makes sense: let's start with my Great Grandma, Mildred Van Liew. She had three sons. Each son had children, and most of those children had children, and now Bethany and I have our own sons. Okay, according to my old thinking, Peter and Jessica would have been my 3rd cousins, because they're parents were my dad's cousins, my dad's cousins were my 2nd cousins, and their children were my 3rd. So it was faulty, but that's what I thought. This is how it really should go: my dad's cousins are my cousins "once removed" because they are in a different generation than I. Peter and Jessica are actually my 2nd cousins, meaning we share the same great grandma and are in the same generation. My dad would be Peter and Jessica's first cousin once removed, because their parents are first cousins with my dad, but they are a generation below my dad. Now, my son would be Peter and Jessica's 2nd cousin once removed because I am their second cousin and he is in a different generation than they. Get it? It's new to me, but I think I can work it. Go family relationship terminology!