I got 'ID' cards for my kids yesterday.

These are tri-fold cards that have space for fingerprints, a hair sample for DNA testing, a recent picture, a dental chart and a drawing of a body like you'd see on an autopsy report so you can mark down scars, broken bones etc.

Last night I lined all three of my babies up and took their prints. We marked on the little bodies where they have scars, birthmarks and broken bones.  We talked briefly about what we needed to have these cards for.  My eldest was on the ball and understood..."it's in case we go missing" she said.  My little guy was just happy that he got to get his fingers dirty and that he's different because he has one whorl and 9 loops.

Am I being paranoid?  Probably.  Statisitcally speaking, it's unlikely that I'll ever have reason to pull these cards out and hand them to a police officer.  Having said that, I'm glad that I have them.  I simply cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, much less than anguish of having a child go missing.....at least if your child is deceased you have some closure.  You know where they are....with a kids that's just disappeared, you have...well, nothing.  You can't lay your baby to rest, you can't mourn because your child may still be alive.  You don't know if your child is cold or hurt or hungry....you're prevented from following your maternal instincts and caring for them.  To mothers and fathers of missing children, especially those who have been missing for a long time, to hear that they're dead must be a relief in some ways.  At least then they know......

I'm doing what I think I need to do, just in case one of mine gets lost.  I'd much prefer to hand over one of these cards and give law enforcement a head start on finding them than have to scramble looking for things that could help find or indentify my child.

We're taking hair samples today, and then these cards are getting put in a safe place along with the rest of our important documents....just in case.