darn you, logic

these days, anth is quick to cite the Golden Rule.
overall, we find this to be a positive thing.

tonight we ran into a snag.
i ran to grab a washcloth and walked back into the restroom while the boys were getting ready to brush their teeth.
benny was in the process of running out the door crying.
anth was in the process of avoiding eye contact with me.
when i finally managed to get a full report of what happened, i determined that benny had smacked anth in the rear, and anth had, in turn, squeezed his arm.

the boys were both sent to individual spots to sit and think about their choices.
as expected, they went to these places and thought about when they could stop sitting there.
when i went in to process with anthony, he was adamant.
"mom! benny hurt me, so i returned the favor! i treated him like he treated me!"
pause.
then, as though this would make it all better,  "i was using the Golden Rule!"

i mean, he had a point.
not one i could condone, but i did kind of give him two silent points for thinking on his feet.