It Is That Close

You know those phases with little kids that are really difficult, painful or annoying but that don't last forever?
I'm talking about middle of the night feeds, 'toilet training', tantrums...
Well I'm in the middle of one right now!
The phase that's giving me grief at the moment is getting the five year old boy to school with a two year old.  It should be an easy task considering we only live 100 metres from the school as the crow flies.  But as we are not crows (and it would be a bit rude to traipse through the back neighbour's yard every day), we have to walk about 300 metres.  Again, this should easy.  Who can't walk 300 metres?  I'll tell you who, my two year old.  Oh yes, she can walk 300 metres easily at say, the shopping centre.  But this is our 300 metres...

Walk UP (yes, up, we are on the side of a very steep hill) the backyard to the lane, turn right, pass four houses, come out at the street, cross the street, turn left, walk UP past two houses, cross the street, turn left, pass four houses, and we're there.  It is that close.  I hear the school bells all day and can hear the children playing during break times.  It is THAT close.

Here are the problems...
1.  The two year old doesn't like to walk near roads, the traffic noise scares her.
2.  I cannot carry my two year old 300 metres uphill with my five year old's back pack on my back and then carry her back home without feeling like I am going to die.
3.  The two year old happily sits in a stroller or pram but...
a) the lane access at the back is an unsealed roadway which is very rocky and uneven, and the wheels on the stroller HATE it! (I have written a letter to the local council...however, I'm not counting on any action any time soon)
b) the pram wheels are quite happy on the unsealed lane but once we get to school there are steps at the front entrance (I can carry the stroller up the steps if the two year old hops out, but I can't carry the pram)
c) the front street access is sealed but that adds another hundred metres of steep uphill, which is fine if you don't have a pram
4.  If I drive (which I do when it rains) parking spaces are so limited I have to get there 20 minutes earlier to nab one and we end up having to walk almost as far anyhow, just without the UP bits.

I've tried it all ways.  They all suck.  Yesterday morning I convinced my two year old to walk without the stroller but ended up carrying her most of the way.  At one point she did agree to walk then tripped and grazed her knee.

I feel like I can't win with this one.  But, the good news is, it won't last forever!!
The two year old will walk eventually.
Quite possibly a long time before the council ever get around to fixing the lane!