After all these years, most of our Need-to-be-Adopted Teddy Bears are on their way to being adopted! (Mommy kept the ones she dressed up for beary special adoptions.) They are going to homes of beary young mommies (teenagers), first, to teach them how to care for their babies, and then as presents for both mommies and their babies. That means they will be beary important caregivers for a beary long time – a dream of all adopted Stuffies!

We miss them already, but are so glad to know they are finally about to be born!

Of course, we will be beary busy comforting the ones left behind, assuring them that they are special, so will be adopted also, some day. Meanwhile, they remain part of our family.

Mommy has s’plained the term “relatives” to us for them. “Relatives” are part of Peoples’ family, who are related, but not mommies, daddies, or kids. They usually don’t live with “im-meed-it family,” but can. For instance, our family! Since we are married brothers with kids, our kids are cousins to each other. Most brothers, in Peoples’ World, don’t live together when they have kids, so the cousins are considered “relatives.” Our kids are so close to each other, they are more like brothers and sisters to each other, but they are technically, cousins, so “relatives.” Aunts, uncles, grandparents, nephews and nieces are all a’posed to be relatives, even though they are also family.

It’s quite confusing, and even more so when Mommy gets into first cousins once removed, when no one has been removed. We thinks she is trying to confuse us, once she gets into third cousins twice removed, but then she laughs. She said that at their dinner table, her Daddy taught her all the details about relatives, when she was young, so she understands it all. Then again, she has met some of her second cousins, and second cousins once removed…well, she says she understands it.

Anyway, most of the Needs-to-be are adopted, and the ones left behind for special adoptions are now considered relatives! It’s become a bit quieter around here with only about thirty of us left.