I know. Its another of those annoying buzzwords!

Polycule. A cutesy word that has been appropriated by some of us in the Poly community to refer to our extended families. Some folks don’t like using it.

I personally find it amusing. So we use it.

My personal ‘cule is made up of one main circle, and its various spokes. In the main circle (aka- those who live in the household) we have three adults and anywhere from three to five children. Two of the children are over 18, and one of them is a parent (yes… we are grandparents!) so the number ebbs and flows depending on the day, if its the holidays, and what is for dinner that day.

Poly groupings are often assigned letters to show how they are configured. Our household is a V. Which is to say one person is the pivot point for two others. I am the bottom point of said V. Branching off of that is Otto and James.

James and I are married, have been for years now. We are a blended family, and brought our own children into this dynamic. We were closed for a few years while we settled into our paces, but as we had entered relationship knowing we were both poly-minded it wasn’t hard to open back up once things were settled.

James came with two children (and a bonus one, hence the grandchild). His kiddos are older than mine, both being over 18. He has a job that requires a lot of traveling, and so often isn’t home. He is my academia-addict, a great lover of gathering degrees (hes working on his third Masters…drooling after a PhD), and musical genius. He can play almost any instrument, which is one of our shared passions. He is also an avid game player, be it video or board or whatever, and also can cut a mean rug in the ballroom. He does make grouchy noises about sunlight, so that puts a bit of a damper on our dynamic as I am a child of the dirt.

We call him Dad. 😉

Otto and I are the newer relationship. We have been dating since the beginning of the year, and it is one of those situations where we just knew the energy was compatible and right. He and his wife are child-free, and his entering into our dynamic and household worked in a beautiful way for them as Ann identifies as a lesbian. They still have a deep love for each other, and she is most assuredly part of our family and the extended ‘cule. She has her own house, but more often than not can be found in the family home with the rest of us. She has her own relationships outside of ours, since clearly she is looking for something more specific.

Otto is also an academic and a teacher of the English Language, but also a bit of a dilettante when it comes to fixing things. He loves working outdoors, gardening, and doing other such home-y type things. Which dovetails beautifully into my love of homesteading and outdoors. Seeing how Ann is a very fair and delicate skinned redhead she and James stay inside, since they would turn into a magical shade of lobster if they spend more than a few minutes in the “cursed daystar”. This leaves Otto and I to be the outdoor spouses. …we don’t mind.

We call him D3, and Ann is Auntie.

I came with two children. Younger, obviously. I have one in high school, and the other preparing to enter middle school. They are aware of our lifestyle, and it is always explained to their development level. They have blossomed under this lifestyle, as there are more than enough adults to spread the duties of “WHAT KID NEEDS TO BE WHERE” that always happens during school time.

I don’t know what they call me.

…the name I hear most of the time is “MOM!!!” or “HEY, HON?!”