Anyone good with official family titles? This one's tricky.

[darmok167]

And I know the most obvious response is "no relation" but I'm just curious what the long version would be.

My wife was legally adopted by her step mother when she turned 18. It is my understanding that what used to be her step mother is now, legally her (just) mother. If that is incorrect, please let me know.

Her (former) step mother had other children from previous marriages. I can only assume that they are now "brothers" and "sisters" rather than step brothers and step sisters to her. This would also make them my brother/stster-in-laws, correct?

One of my wife's brothers (or possibly step brother) is getting married to a woman that has two children of her own. So now my brother-in-law (or possibly step brother in law) is going to have two step children of his own.

That being said, out of simple curiousity, what would that make the two children to me, in technical or legal terms?

For all intents and purposes I am going to be Uncle "Darmok," because they're great kids and I love them second only to my own.

I'm just curious what the long version would be. (And I haven't even mentioned the phrase, "by marriage.") LOL

Anyone care to take a stab at this one?

[caty]

1. If your brother in law

adopts his step children, he will be their legal parent, which will make you their real uncle. Until then, you are only their uncle if you and the children want to think of you in that way.

[rug]

2. Nephew or niece. Period.

[BeFree]

3. Yall are just...

...kissing cousins.

[bif]

4. In the case of a will "Leeaches" would be apt.

Just kidding. I really have no clue.

[Critters2]

5. I suppose step-niece, step-nephew. But I'd think of them as niece and nephew

I think of you as a good man, in that you love them.

[darmok167]

6. I appreciate the praise...

...I am a good man.

I'm just wondering what the official title would be because the best I can come up with is...

...very confusing. LOL

[Critters2]

7. Just use niece or nephew. The relationship is what matters, not

the nomenclature.

[Left Is Write]

8. Legally, there is no relationship. However, in your case, they are nieces and nephews

in relationship and spirit. The legality of it means nothing.

[darmok167]

9. I realize this...

...this is a case of simple curiousity.

I just want to know what the actual title would be.

That's all.

I am a strangely curious person. :)

[Left Is Write]

10. There is no actual title really -

Unless you count "step-uncle" as your title, which isn't even quite accurate considering that the children are your wife's brother's stepchildren rather than your own brother's stepchildren. There's no legal or official title for the relationship.

Familial relationships can be funny. My husband has a full sister who was given for adoption at birth. His mother and father later married and had him. My husband did not know about the sister until five years ago. She is the one person biologically closest to him in the world, and yet they do not have a brother/sister relationship. Her parents were unhappy that she searched for and found her birth mother. She and my MIL do not have a mother/daughter relationship; it's more a friendship, though lately even that seems to be more obligatory for my MIL than voluntary.

This sister has two children. My MIL does not consider them her grandchildren, nor does the sister want her to. Their grandparents are her adoptive parents. I do not consider them my children's cousin, nor does Sister. She is not my sister-in-law, because there is no legal relationship between her and my husband. It feels strange sometimes.

[yellowdogintexas]

11. my mom's step mother was my grandmother, as far as I was concerned

period paragraph end of story. Her sons were my uncles and their children my cousins.

She was the best grandmother anyone could ever have wanted, a good wife to my grandaddy and a good friend to my mom. Her sons were in high school when she joined our family (I wasn't born yet) and they were like big brothers to me. I loved their wives too.

When she died, I asked for something of hers, anything at all from the uncles. They sent me the wedding rings my grandfather bought her. WOW.

Oh yeah and her first biological great grand child was born same day as my daughter: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. She was beside herself with joy.

So, you go right ahead and be uncle to those kids, you love them anyway. I have been "aunt" to the children of many of my friends over the years, as well as the children of my dad's niece & nephew (and they are "aunt and Uncle" to my daughter and my sisters' children too. We were a very close family growing up, and that set of cousins were almost like brothers and a fourth sister to us.)

LOL remember the old country song: "I;m my own grampaw"?

there is a cute Southern Phrase, used to describe convoluted relationships: "stepneighbor cousin-in law"