John, This is good, but I think you have too many "grandchildren" involved. Here is the simplified version direct from Anthropology 101 (which I've taught): Your parents' siblings' children = your 1st cousins Your grandparents' siblings' children = your 2nd cousins Your great-grandparents siblings' children = your 3rd cousins and so on. For "removes" it follows the same pattern for each generation (first, second, etc.): Your first cousin's child = your first cousin, once removed; that child's child, your first cousin, twice removed; that child's child, your first cousin, thrice removed. Where the confusion sets in is that it does not work the same going up the generations as it does down (now I know everyone is getting really confused, but just calm down and pay attention. It may help to diagram this on a piece of paper using your own family (or make up names if you don't know the real ones.) Or you can use the diagram below. At the top of the paper write down the name of your father's father (your grandfather). Under that in the left hand column put your father's name. Under that put your name. Under that one of your kids. In the right hand column under your grandfather's name put a sibling of your father's (aunt or uncle). Under that put one of their kids. And under that one of that person's kids. Arthur (grandfather) Bob (father) Joy (aunt) Kathy (me) Art (my 1st cousin) Chris (my son) Corinne (my 1st cousin, once removed) Looking at this starting at the top, you see that my first cousin Art is the child of my father's sibling, Joy. Art's daughter Corinne is my 1st cousin, once removed. But now let's look at Corinne's relationship to me --- remember I said that a second cousin is the child of your grandparent's sibling. Joy is Corinne's grandmother; Bob is Joy's brother and sibling; I am Bob's child. So to Corinne, I am her second cousin, although to me she is a first cousin, once removed. Now you see where the confusion sets in! These relationships tend to be understood only by anthropologists, genealogists, and little old ladies in the deep south! For convenience sake, Corinne and I call each other second cousins, but for genealogy's sake you have to get it correct. I hope this has clarified things a little. Kathy