Annika has more to say.........

Last night I was cooking dinner for the kids. Annika was in the kitchen with me. She had placed pillows on two of the chairs and was using them as a bed while she waited for her dinner. We were listening to Christmas music. At the end of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" she had a question.

"What is 'tidings of peppermint joy'?"

This led to a discussion of the word "comfort". I told her that comforting someone was cheering him up or trying to make him feel happier.

"Well, sometimes I try to make Marta happy when she is crying, but she just keeps crying."

I responded by saying that sometimes people are just grouchy, but we can still be nice to them.

"Well, I just get kinda.......disgusted if she's grouchy."

There you have it. Grouchy people must be disgusting to a 5 year old!
As for "tidings of peppermint joy".......that should be the name of a special holiday tea or hot chocolate, don't you think?