What a Tangled Web

Well, today was a first in the growing up all too fast life of my older son. He lied to me. I couldn't believe it.
Bennett and I were in the front of the house; Reeves was playing in his room. It was Bennett's naptime, so I went to put him in his crib. As I entered the hall, I saw that the full length mirror at the back of the hall had been pulled from the wall, hangers and all. Luckily, it was propped up against a fan back there, so it wasn't broken and no one (Reeves) was hurt. I put Bennett down, went into Reeves' room and asked him what happened. I got no response. I asked him who knocked the mirror down. He told me that Bennett had done it. Enter the "Here Is An Important Parenting Moment So Take Advantage Of It" thought. I didn't blow my top; I didn't yell; I sat him down and talked to him. I told him that while I was upset about the mirror, I knew it was an accident, and even though he should know better, that is not what I was the most angry about. "I know you just lied to me about who knoked the mirror down." We talked about how bad lying is and how he should never, never do it. "You are being punished now, not because of the mirror, but because you lied about it when I asked you."
I hope I have handled this correctly. I think he got it. I suppose only time will tell, but he did mention to Pops later today about the lying, and Pops reiterated how important it is to always tell the truth. So somewhere in that three year old conscience of his he is beginning to understand right and wrong. I am glad this first experience with lying was so clearly black and white. There was no question who had done it, and as a result, I can sleep soundly tonight knowing I didn't punish him for something his brother might possibly have done.
He's growing up too fast. I'm not ready for the "shades of grey" that come with parenting as they get older. Sometimes it makes me long for those first three months of sleep deprivation. They were hard on the body but easy on the soul.