Oh my goodness!!! Although I don't have a baby in the mix (and I can't imagine how much harder that would be) I am going through many of the same things you are! My DD is just over 2 and a half and I would desperately love her to play on her own, even for a tiny bit. I have no advice to offer you, but will be waiting keenly to hear what else comes up in this thread and when to expect a little independent play!

Thanks for posting and hope you get some good answers and manage to get DS to entertain himself a little!