A few months ago, as my children and I were strolling through Michael’s they started to talk about whiskey. I was mortified and told them to stop talking. After leaving the store, I asked them where they had heard about it. They informed me that Captain Haddock drinks it. I told them it was not a nice drink (I’ve never tasted it) and not something I wanted them discussing.

Today we were at Michael’s once again and my previous admonishment had obviously gone in one ear and out the other. My daughter, who touches everything when we go shopping, took a fake book off of the shelf and stated, “Oh, this is like the book in Tintin.” Then in her loudest speaking voice she proceeded to say, “This is where Captain Haddock keeps his whiskey. It makes a pretty good hiding place for whiskey.” A young mother in the aisle turned to her little daughter and said, “Come let’s go.” I felt like crawling into the book my daughter was holding and hiding. Needless to say, I had another discussion with my daughter about whiskey. I wonder what it is about Michael’s that makes my children discuss Captain Haddock’s downfall.