Hao Gong's Little Buddy

For the two weeks Calliope was in the hospital, I was a ghost at home. I returned to shower and sleep, but I spent a good chunk of each day in the NICU. As a result, I barely saw Benjamin. This would have worried me, but he didn't miss me at all, because he'd found a new best friend: Hao Gong.
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My dad was able to stay with us for only two weeks, but in that period of time, he and Benjamin became best buds. It got to the point where Benjamin would wake up in the morning, and when Vince or I went in to get him from his crib, he'd rub his eyes, look around, then say plaintively, "Hao Gong?" He just really bonded with his granddad and wanted to spend every waking moment hanging out with him. And who could blame him? My dad took such great care of the Boo. They'd do fun things like go for a swing in the park...

...Hang out in the tot lot...

...and take long walks around the neighborhood while discussing nature and philosophy...
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I was really worried about how Benjamin would handle my father's return home to China. Would he grow sullen and withdrawn? Would he refuse to play with anyone else? Would he throw a tantrum. As it turns out, he figured out a way to always have his Hao Gong nearby.
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My parents and Benjamin had spent much time playing with new Lego farm set. The set included three Lego figurines: a grownup with grey hair, a second grownup with a red cap, and a smaller one with a green cap. Each figurine came to represent each one of them: Hao Gong, Hao Po, and Benjamin.
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Shortly after my father had returned to China, I came across Benjamin playing quietly with his Legos. As I watched, he picked up the grey-haired figurine and softly said to it, "Hao Gong." He then gently kissed it on the head. Awwwww!!! But just as I thought my heart was about to explode with the sweetness of it all, Benjamin took the play Hao Gong, walked over to his play toolbench, and proceeded to...
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...drill a play hole into him.

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Maybe he was play punishing Hao Gong for going back to China?