Try These

One of the biggest logistical challenges of having two little ones is what to do with Abbey while I'm nursing Dylan.  She is (generally) good with him, and there haven't been too many instances of jealousy, but feeding time brings out the green-eyed monster most frequently.  I try to come up with something fun for her to do before I even start, or she almost immediately starts asking for milk, a snack, a seat on the next space shuttle mission, etc.

Enter beads.

For a couple dollars, I bought a giant bag of colored beads and a packet of sparkly pipe cleaners.  Two of the best purchases ever for my girl.  Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on what your kids like to do, but you can do so much with these two simple things.  Sometimes we make bracelets.  Once we made a magic wand JUST LIKE ABBY-CADABBY!  Or you can use the beads on their own and sort into piles by colors.  Or count them.  Or count the colors.  Plus, the threading of the beads onto the pipe cleaners is a fun way to develop fine motor skills.

I just need to put them away by naptime, or else she thinks putting them back in their little plastic box and shaking them next to Dylan's head is another great way to use them!

They aren't the secret to world peace, but they're a great toy.