In Which I Declare My Eternal Devotion to Otterbox

Yesterday, Eric, Ellie and I went out to run some errands. You know, the usual - Target, grocery shopping, picking up photo prints at CVS. When we left CVS I strapped Ellie into her carseat and, eager to look at the pictures we just picked up, hopped into the passenger seat next to Eric and pulled them out as we drove off.

After we had driven a short distance, we heard a thump, thump on the back of the car. It sounded like something hit the trunk, and I jokingly asked if someone was throwing things at us. We dismissed it and drove the rest of the way home.

When we arrived at home, I gathered up my bags and then I realized - I was missing my wallet. My new wristlet wallet that also nicely holds my iPhone. I HAD LEFT IT ON TOP OF THE CAR WHEN WE LEFT CVS.

(Jess, if you're reading this, I totally thought of you and your [hopefully former] tendency to do these sorts of things. When I got that sinking feeling of realization, I feel like I understood you on a whole new level. That is not a good time.)

Panicked, I told Eric what was going on and he immediately left Ellie and me at home while he jumped in the car to go back to look for my wallet. He called me on the house phone shortly thereafter, to ask if I remembered exactly where we where when we heard that fateful thump, thump. I couldn't remember exactly and told him I felt like I needed to do something, so Ellie and I hopped on our bike and made our way out there to join the search (it was only about a mile and a half away).

I pedaled as fast as my little legs would go until I arrived at a spot further south than I thought the wallet had fallen, then walked my bike (and my baby) along the side of the road, searching for my pink polka-dot wristlet. All the while I was mentally cataloguing the contents of my wallet: credit cards, driver's licence, Ellie's health insurance cards, my Busch Gardens pass. I was wondering what kind of cheapo replacement phone I would have to get. I was planning to stop at the police station on my way home to report it missing in case some good Samaritan turned it in and I was mentally listing out the credit card companies I would be calling as soon as I got home.

After a short distance I saw Eric heading towards me and then, I spotted my wallet in the middle of the road! Halleluia, it wasn't lost forever!

And then I watched an SUV run it over. Only one of many, I'm sure.

Eric ran out into the street to retrieve it and I braced myself for the sight of shards of iPhone raining down onto the asphalt. Instead, Eric looked up with a shocked expression.

MY PHONE SURVIVED. It got thrown off a car at 40 mph and run over by at least one SUV and there wasn't a scratch on it!

God bless my Otterbox case.

In fact, the whole wallet survived - everything was accounted for, and my phone is in perfect working order. The only damage done were a few small tears on the corners of my wristlet.

Minimal damage!

So it's safe to say that I will continue to buy Otterbox covers for my iPhone. I've wondered if my case would stand up to the demands of a toddler who loves iPhones, and now I have total faith in it. I have heard it jokingly said that Otterbox cases are just for drunk white girls, but I propose to amend that statement: Otterbox cases are for drunk white girls and absent-minded mothers leaving CVS.

Phew. I certainly won't be making that mistake again.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and Otterbox does not even know I exist. I just had to share the good word that this case is SUV-tested, frantic-mother-approved.