House of Cards

Jerry had his annual triathlon in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin this weekend. Teaming with a road bike, wet suit and a sundry of race gear, along with a weekends worth of clothing, bottles, diapers, wipes and a decades worth of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, two rowdy girls and their two fool-hardy parents our loyal Maxima headed north. We typically stay at the Jay Lee Inn Bed and Breakfast and this year was no different. A beautiful old Victorian home situated yards away from the finish line of the race, gourmet breakfasts and a very patient...scratch that...saintly hostess. What is not to love? But even sainthood has it's limits. Jerry and I were sure that they would change their policy on kids soon after seeing our car pull out of the drive. Not sure why Jerry and I don't learn our lesson year after year. A historic home, a magnet for romance, and couples seeking romance, quaint, quiet rooms, a collection of porcelain dogs and other fragile antiques right at your fingertips and the Biag sisters. Let's just say it was not a recipe for success. Jerry and I tried our best to quiet down the 11 month old that was feverish and teething. We also tried our best not to disturb with a rambunctious and opinionated three year old. The worst thing was, the girls quickly had this game figured out and perpetually called our bluff. Mortified with the noise coming out of our room, Jerry and I whispered feverishly in hushed, menacing tones, fire in our eyes..."Quiet Down!", "Don't Touch!", "Go to Sleep!". But all it did was stoke the fires. We quickly realized how hard exclamation points can be to convey with a whisper. Thankfully, Jerry's co-worker, a seasoned parent with more sense, invited us over to his vacation home. We spent the afternoon skipping rocks and yelling at our children without fear of being overheard by the honeymooners next door.
You would think Jerry and I would have learned our lesson this year and plan ahead for other arrangements in 2012. But no...just as we piled the last of our crazy circus into the car, I hear Jerry confirming our reservation for next year. And get this, the inn-keeper agreed! She must have been so shocked by our gall that she did not protest. Shock and awe baby...shock and awe.