Author: Charlie

The Coolest Halloween Costume By A Dad (2016)

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. I love other holidays, don’t get me wrong, but Halloween has a special place in my heart because it gives us the opportunity make magic. Sometimes, though, other parents make me look like an amateur. This dad, who we’ve covered before, nails Halloween costumes. This year he’s made yet […]



When Pixar Goes Dark

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

I’ve always been a fan of Pixar. I was 14 years-old when Toy Story came out. I was a little unsure that I’d want to watch it, since it seemed like a children’s program and I was trying to so hard to act like an adult. Teenagers almost always mistake adulthood and seriousness. But when […]



If You Hate Cats, This May Change Your Mind

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

Listen, I’m not a cat fan. I’ve never really liked them. Maybe it’s because I’m allergic to them or maybe I just don’t like creatures that poop in sandboxes but they’ve always seemed unimpressed with me. But this video makes me think cat+human relations could be salvaged. The way this cat shows this baby affection […]



Recognizing Your Parents…

Posted under SNAPSHOTS

Arden, I've had this beard for 99.9999% of your little life. Honestly, I'm worried what would happen if I shaved it. I remember when I first met your mom I couldn't even grow this crazy thing. It was patchy and took months to even show up as fuzz. Good luck growing your own face sweater, […]



That Time Tom Hanks Crashed Your Wedding

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

Did you have a dream of what your wedding would look like? Did you imagine Tom Hanks would be there? Well, for this couple, that dream became reality. Now, I eloped with my wife because apparently I’m not big on pomp and circumstance, but there’s a part of me that wishes we had done the […]



He Just Wants To Be A Real Boy

Posted under SNAPSHOTS

A photo posted by Charlie Capen (@charliecapen) on Aug 13, 2015 at 4:53pm PDT How does this happen? I need answers. I feel like Geppetto and my marionette son is becoming a real boy. But the truth is I’m the dummy. Every day is a process of chipping away my own woodenness as a parent. […]



This Dad Gets It

Posted under SNAPSHOTS

The following was posted on Facebook and shared into my feed last night. It sums up something I’ve been going through with my older son. Though Finn isn’t autistic he is a special brand of human: sensitive, brilliant, quirky, analytical, impulsive, hilarious. And this boy, below, seems like a brother from another mother. But I […]



This Singing Kid Is My Life

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

This has been a long week, too. Life has been a tough go, and even some of the joyful things have been brutal. This kid is everything. He commits to singing these ABCs even it apparently causes him physical pain or something. Sure, I get very nervous singing in front of people. It’s sort of […]



Orangutan + Baby Bump = Magic

Posted under VIDEOTAPE

WARNING: This video features cuteness overload but may contain vertical formatting. Vertical video is a seriously disease with long term side effects, including old age, luddite tendencies and a general disdain for the viewer. The animal kingdom is filled with examples of species that do amazing things around babies, pregnancy and female anatomy. Male seahorses […]



Parenting Without A Manual

Posted under SNAPSHOTS

A photo posted by Charlie Capen (@charliecapen) on Sep 5, 2016 at 8:38pm PDT There are some days when I feel like I have no idea how to parent. You encounter a lot of imponderable stuff when you’re dealing with the formation of a human being. There are so many outcomes based on how strict, […]