MARK MY WORD: THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS FOR KIDS

There's nothing like show business even if it's just a television commercial.

Becca and Bailey recently appeared in a commercial for Southeast Missouri Hospital. Dressed in dress-up clothes, they pretended to have a tea party. In return, they landed a few seconds of fame in a 30-second commercial.

We're not talking big bucks here. It wasn't like they had acting contracts. They just have a mom who works in the hospital's marketing department.

The kids couldn't have been happier. They love dressing up even when they aren't being filmed.

We viewed the commercial on videotape even before it aired publicly.

Joni and I made the usual remarks of proud parents. I even transported the videotape to St. Louis to show it to my parents.

Actually, that wasn't the reason I made the trip. But I figured as long as I was making the journey, I might as well bring along the tape.

The children initially liked watching the commercial. But a commercial only has so much appeal for an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old.

Being caught on tape still doesn't interest them as much as performing at home in our living room, which often serves as an impromptu stage.

The other night they watched an 8-year-old friend perform on stage at Rose Theatre, the culmination of a summer theater workshop.

Becca and Bailey loved it. They brought flowers to their friend. In their eyes, she was far more entertaining than some famous movie star.

No sooner had we returned home than the girls started putting on their own show. They modeled swimsuits and danced, twirling umbrellas with every move.

Naturally, we applauded. Parents are good at that. It's been said that all the world's a stage. One thing is for certain, our home is a stage for two growing children who love to perform.

They love an audience, particularly when it is Mom and Dad.

After their modeling show, they staged their own game show. Joni served as host for our version of "The Price is Right."

I lost in the first round to Becca, who figured we spent $1,000 on a living room chair. Of course, we hadn't done so but what's a few more zeroes to an 8-year-old? Moderator Joni chose her answer anyway, a clear indication this game show was rigged.

I left the show to watch the end of the Cardinals game. The Redbirds didn't have the answers either. They lost to the Mets.

By then, our homemade game show was nearing an end. As I remember it, Becca was the big winner. I'm not sure what she won, but it didn't cost us anything.

Of course, it was getting late so there wasn't much time for celebrating.

Even show business has to take a backseat to bedtime.

But that's OK. With Becca and Bailey, there's always another performance just around the corner. Best of all, there's not a bad view in the house.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.