Introductions

I became a dad on February 6, 2013.  I remember being terrified of screwing up and not knowing what to do so I bought a bunch of parenting books so I could attempt to become an expert before my son was born.  I actually did read a couple of them, but nothing could actually prepare me for the unforgettable moment that I first saw my son's fuzzy little head being squeezed out of my wife.  I remember that I was so overwhelmed with emotion.  I felt as if I had had an empty expanse within me that was suddenly flooded with an unexplainable amount of love for this little person that I had just barely met.  

As my boy grew older and we eventually had another four years later, I began to realize that many people seem to believe that dads are incapable morons who shouldn't be trusted to be alone with their own kids.  Before I became a dad, I never noticed how dads were portrayed in movies, tv sitcoms, books, commercials, etc.  However, I did notice the strange looks and comments from random strangers whenever I would leave the house alone with my boys.  My eyes were opened even more when I became a stay at home dad and a full-time student.  It seemed that people were amazed that I would have the courage (or audacity) to venture out of the house without my wife supervising me. 

I began to get frustrated with how dads are portrayed, so I decided that I wanted to start this blog as a way to give people a different perspective of what a real-life dad is.  I decided to name it: "The Capable Dad" because the word capable is defined as the ability to do something.  As Wade Boggs once said, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."

I'm not perfect, but I am capable.

-Richie (The Capable Dad)