DANBURY – Alexandra "Alex" Graf traded in her dirndl and left her family and Bavarian-style inn to spend two weeks with a New York family full of body builders.

If it sounds like the premise for an episode of ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," that's because it is.

"We said: 'You know, what the heck? Let's do it. It'll be fun, it'll be crazy and it'll be good publicity,'" said Alex Graf, 48, whose family will be featured in next Wednesday's episode of "Wife Swap" at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The Graf family lives and works at the 14-room Inn at Danbury, a German bed and breakfast on Route 104 with an on-site German bistro, where Alexandra's husband, Robert, is the chef.

The Graf family of Danbury, from left, Zacchaeus 'Bubba,' 13, Robert, 54, Daphny, 10, Alexandra, 45, and Meagan, 15, will appear on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap" next Wednesday. The family runs the Inn at Danbury, for which they don Alpine costume. (COURTESY)

The Grafs' three children, Meagan, 16, Zacchaeus "Bubba," 14, and Daphne, 11, help out serving breakfast and waiting tables while dressed in traditional German dirndls and lederhosen.

About three years ago, Alex Graf, who grew up in the Netherlands, filled out a "Wife Swap" application online. A production company then called her last winter, asking if she and her family were still interested. Each member of the Graf family underwent a battery of psychological and medical tests, background checks and drug screenings before they were officially accepted, Alex said.

"They know everything about us," she said. "Everything."

Alex Graf swapped husbands and children (but not bedrooms) with Lisa Medici, a stay-at-home mom who lives on Long Island and spends most of her day doting on her son Nick, who's already become a champion bodybuilder at the age of 16, following in his father John's footsteps, and imposing few restrictions on her rebellious 14-year-old son, Giuseppe.

"It's a weird feeling to walk into a stranger's house," said Alex, who immediately noticed the many photographs of the muscular Nick and the giant mirrors on the walls of the small, unfinished home. She only found one picture of Giuseppe on the refrigerator.

"Obviously, the one son was favored over the other," Alex said during an interview at the inn yesterday.

Alexandra Graf of Danbury traded families with Lisa Medici, right, of Long Island for “Wife Swap.” Posing are, from left, Giuseppe, 14, Nick, 16, and John Medici. (COURTESY)

For the first week of the swap, the wives adhere to the rules and lifestyles of their new families, but during the second week, the women make their own rules in an effort to give the family a new perspective.

Alex spent the first week waiting on the Medici men hand and foot. She did all the chores and even painted a fake tan onto Nick's bulging body with guidance from temporary husband and former bodybuilder John.

"I had never seen a bodybuilding competition and guys all pumped up like that," Alex said. "It's pretty . . . different."

Meanwhile, back in Danbury, Lisa Medici, 46, was donning a dirndl.

"She was waiting on tables in a dirndl an hour-and-a-half after she got here," Robert Graf said, "so we threw her right in."

"At first she was afraid to really do or say anything," he said. "But I encouraged her, and she got into it and we got into it."

Then, during the second week, Lisa lifted all rules for the hardworking Graf children and ordered them to become guests at the inn for the week.

Daphne Graf invited about a half-dozen of her friends to a birthday party at the inn that week. "I sprayed Silly String on the camera, and they yelled at me," said Daphne, who agreed with her sister, Meagan, that making the show was a lot of fun.

"I did miss my mom," Meagan said, "but I really did like it. It was an awesome experience."

Robert, however, wasn't pleased with the idea of his well-behaved children running amok.

"My impression of Lisa was that her idea of parenting was just to be the kids' buddies," he said. Lisa argued kids shouldn't have to work so they can enjoy being kids. She even tried to get Graf to sell the inn to relieve the family's financial worries and lessen the housework.

"We had a few knock-down, drag-outs," Robert said.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Alex was doling out chores.

"I gave them each chores, but I gave myself chores, too," she said. "I divided all the household duties."

She also made Nick get a job handing out flyers while wearing a pizza suit so he would learn how to earn his keep, imposed rules about television, cell phone and Internet usage and tried to encourage Giuseppe with his graffiti-art skills.

Alex said she has allowed her children more time on the Internet since the swap and has picked up a second job as a representative for a wine distributor to help make ends meet.

The Grafs are planning a "Wife Swap" watch party at the inn next Wednesday. Rent-A-Center of Laconia is donating a big-screen television for the event and Alex said reservations are already pouring in.

"It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Alex said. "We feel honored that we were picked."