Erica Fox and Israel Fox

[00:04] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: My name is Erica Malone San Fox. I am 48 years old. It's December 2, 2023. I'm in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the name of my interview partner is my daughter, Israel. And my relationship, of course, to her is. I'm her mom.

[00:24] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: My name is Israel Seray Fox I am 17 years old. Today is December 2, 2023. I'm in Lafayette, Louisiana, interviewing with my mom, Erica Fox.

[00:37] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: And so, Izzy, why do you sound hoarse right now?

[00:42] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I totally blasted my voice out yesterday and the entire week prior because we had a concert for our vocal department at school this Friday, and it was really intense practicing all week.

[00:56] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: And that brings me to. I loved the performance. First of all, watching you guys just sing and give your hearts. And I think I was touched most when you sang last Christmas because of so many reasons. But it dawned on me that this is your last Christmas with your friends. You went through four years of school, and this really, truly is the last time you'll probably sing a Christmas song with them, unless you guys all decide to go to the same college together. So it touched me.

[01:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Uh, yeah, we have a van. We're all going to the same university together at the same time. Um, but, yeah, I was actually thinking about that after the show, we all took a picture as a big group, and we were like, y'all, this is the last winter concert. But I refuse to cry, not until later, because. Because even though it's the last winter concert, there's still so many more times we have to sing and so many more times we have to see each other before. I guess it's time we're really out. But, yeah, it kind of is like the last holiday season. I'm waiting on. I'm waiting on one of our winter gigs. Cause they usually take us outside of the school to go sing for certain performances, and I think those will be really intimate and, like, nice to do as a group.

[02:08] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You know, when I watched you guys, I'm a soft hearted person anyway, so it was hard to, like, hold back tears. But so many things was going through my mind, especially, like, the fact that my last Christmas with dad, your grandfather, was literally, like, a few weeks before he passed away. And I remember us also going to New Orleans, to Jackson Square, and I literally pushed him the whole time in his wheelchair, so much so that my purse got tattered from the wheel because I just, you know, moved them all around. And unbeknownst, obviously didn't know he was going to pass away in his sleep a few weeks later. But we also went to a Christmas carol caroling event. So just to hear Christmas songs, it brought me back to that time and just always wanting to relish the moment, especially when you hear beautiful Christmas songs, it just brought me to that. So, yeah, last Christmas means a lot to me. Do you remember that time with grandpa?

[03:14] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I do. There were candles. We were all holding one, and people were singing, and it was really crowded. And I remember it being really awkwardly spaced because there was not enough room for the amount of people that were there. But, yeah, like you said, nobody really expected it to be kind of the last Christmas, quote, unquote. So while we were there, it was, like, a fun thing we were doing. And, I mean, we all knew he was, like, sick, but he's been sick forever. It was kind of unexpected, correct?

[03:40] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah. Well, yeah, he had dementia and had early onset dementia. So he lived with it for a long time. And I think we kind of just assumed that it was something he would have for a while and that he would still be with us for a while. But, yeah, didn't think that the following January he'd be gone. And then the onset of the pandemic happened. It's almost like he checked out before it really got crazy and nutty and everyone was in the house. But I just remembered that, like, Christmas has, like, a whole new meaning for me. For sure. And then just being in the house during pandemic was. Was very rough, which kind of brought me to the Christmas after, you know, he passed away. And then in March, when the entire country was shut down and people were passing away from what we originally thought was just the flu. Like, a lot of folks were saying, hey, you know, such and such is in the hospital because they have the flu. And so we just thought it was a bad case of the flu, never knowing that it was actually Covid. So, yeah. And it made me think about the following Christmas after that, where we were still supposed to be, I guess, on lockdown. But I. I couldn't take it anymore. And I took you guys to universal during a pandemic.

[05:03] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, that might not have been the best choice, but it was fun. I mean, it was great. We all wore our masks, like, double doubled up. And weirdly enough, universal did have pretty strict rules about social distancing. Now, I mean, it is a theme park, so. But, I mean, none of us got Covid, so. Close enough.

[05:21] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Do you remember the masks that we had on? We had masks, but then we also had face guards. Face guards. Gloves.

[05:29] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, we all wore our gloves. I had a mask with stitch printed on it. And then a face guard that was like a shield to keep people from my face.

[05:39] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I remember the drive, too, because what? That was like an 18 hours drive that I did by myself. Cause I remember dad saying, y'all are on your own. And so it was just us three traveling. Just the ride itself was very long going through Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama and every place else. I think we only stopped once because I just needed to take a break to sleep over, I think, in Bonnie Fay. But other than that, we rode all the way to Orlando. And I remember going in, and we weren't the only crazy ones. Do you remember all the people that were there?

[06:18] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, actually, that was probably a problem just a little bit. Like, it was a great experience, and I had fun while we were there. But looking back, there were way too many people there for what we were supposed to be doing. It was supposed to be a ghost town and just like us three. But no, there were plenty of people that were like, Covid's a myth, a hack. Let's go.

[06:41] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I felt that, too. Like we were going to be the only ones there. And then we looked around and, like, no. So apparently other folks were feeling the same, too. Do you remember? There was like. I guess we got there early, and they had this, like, bar, and everyone had to kind of wait until they opened the gates. And then I remember everybody taking off like it was a marathon when they released that gate or bar, and everybody just ran and took off. That's what I remember in my head. Do you remember that?

[07:13] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I remember the idea of that. I don't specifically remember all the running, but I definitely can say it's really similar with a lot of theme parks, because if you come there right before it opens, you're going to enter in a frenzy because lines get long very quickly, and nobody wants to wait in an hour and a half line for a ride that takes 10 seconds to get on. So it was just like, pick one and go.

[07:38] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah, it was fun. And I was kind of scared to ride some of the rides just cause the dizzy factor, but I loved it, and I was glad we went. And that was basically the first, I guess, christmas that we spent in a theme park. Just after Christmas.

[08:05] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, just after Christmas. But I was thinking, trying to think back if we'd been to a theme park in Christmas, technically, like Six Flags once. We went to Six Flags once around Christmas, but I don't know if it's quite the same thing.

[08:17] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah, no, we were very intentional, the ride, getting there and just being away from kind of all the craziness that we had experienced that past year. And I remember us being too tired to go because we stayed till New Year's. Right. And too tired to even get up for the fireworks show, which I'm sure would have been nice had we not slept in.

[08:44] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Fireworks happen every year. I can sleep today.

[08:47] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You like to sleep.

[08:48] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I was tired. We were all tired. You remember how much walking that was?

[08:53] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: It is a lot of walking, but it was worth it. So would you say that's one of your fondest memories? Like, we took something bad and kind of made it good for us or the best we could at the time?

[09:10] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I'm not sure. Cause it was like, it was a great experience. And I had a great time with my family. And I look back on the pictures, like. Cause I still have them in my phone. They're a little far back now. Cause it's been some years, but I still have them. And they're really nice to look back on. But I feel like as a family, we've had, like, moments that might be considered more like intimate spaces, but, like, all of us. Cause I know you mentioned that the trip that we took was just you, me, and my little brother.

[09:40] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You had to think about him.

[09:42] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, it's a little forgettable these days. No, it was just us. And, like, dad wasn't included in that. And I feel like we've had a lot of moments because we are a big family. Like, past, just like, including dad. You have a lot of relatives. I don't know if you noticed that, but, like, I kind of remember that one family reunion. We were all in green shirts and we got a deck of cards with some auntie's face on it, which I.

[10:09] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Thought, that's a great grandmother.

[10:11] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I didn't know who she was. I just know I was somehow related to her. But it was really like, I like being around my family and, like, the people we're related to. And I think, well, I haven't been in a family reunion in a while, but I like going. Cause it's like, wow, you really like my cousin. Which I guess I don't see them as frequently because of just a general day to day. So when we're all together in one place, it's kind of like a different.

[10:37] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Feeling to see them again and how big they've grown or things that they are doing. My grandmother started that we would always, even if we didn't see each other the whole year. Christmas time was the time to all reconnect at her. Her house. And she was really the glue that kept us all together. So Christmas always, we could at least know that we see each other and have some time to kind of catch up. And when she passed away, unfortunately, families kind of go their separate ways. So, yeah, it was good to kind of just circle back with family. Even though our little, small, mini microcosm family, it was fun to be able to spend time for Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[11:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: You have any other questions? I'm sure you do.

[11:30] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You know I do. Um, well, as I think about it, just had a quick question for you. Like, how do you think when you go away? Cause this is your last year with us in the house. Cause you're going to college and you want to go out of state. What do you think you're going to do for Christmas? Are you going to come back home or stay or create your own traditions?

[11:54] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I think it depends on the year. I feel like freshman year, which is the one coming up, when I go to college, I'll probably most likely come home because it'll be, like my first year kind of away, and I won't exactly know how to navigate that. And, I mean, that's kind of my goal. I do want to, like, kind of just be thrown into the world. Cause I feel like it's really important to, like, learn things on your own and kind of take your own steps to figure things out for yourself. Otherwise, it's just having people spoon feed you things forever. And that just sounds awful. But I know that by the time the holidays come around, I'm probably gonna. Most likely wanna be home. Cause it's like, okay, this stressed me out. I need to go see my family or something. I need to go talk to the people I know, go lay down in my bed. Cause I'm sure those dorm beds are not comfortable at all. And so just gonna go touch all the things that are in my room, harass my little brother, say hello to mom and dad. And I think, like, maybe as, like, time goes on, I might stay in certain places and develop, like, kind of traditions of my own with the people I meet and, like, the friends I become accustomed to. But I think it's really important, at least the first year that I come back and, like, see the people I'm already used to.

[13:13] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I like that plan. Good. Either way, you come to us, we come to you. But I think it's funny that you're wanting to go to California, maybe. And that was the place I left Louisiana to go to. And it's almost like history is repeating itself, in a sense. And, yeah, that first year of college, for me, I definitely wanted to come home because I just wanted to be in those familiar spaces, just like you said. Was that intentional or you just happened to gravitate to that same place? I feel like we've got similar paths in some ways.

[13:55] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Well, I was also born in California.

[13:57] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, yeah, let's bring that up.

[14:00] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I was born there, California. So I was like, let's take it back to classic mode. But also, when I go somewhere, I want to go somewhere that's, like, really surrounded by a music and production scene. Because, like, there. I mean, the US is known for, like, two places that really have a heavy music performance and, like, arts scene, which is, like, la, California, and New York City. And there are plenty of places mixed in there that I could, like, be successful as an artist among those in other places, like Atlanta or, like, places in Nashville. But ever since I was, like, really young, I've always wanted to be one of the two big spaces. And somewhere around high school, I was like, New York is probably not for me, and I've never been so anyone from New York, like, please give me a break.

[14:50] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: But I said the same thing. That's why I ended up there, too. I was like, they're gonna swallow me up in New York.

[14:57] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I, like, California is a lot more laid back, in a sense, in the way that the people are now. There's plenty of stresses there, too. Like the high rate for just paying to live. And then traffic is super heavy in California, but in New York, you have to walk everywhere. Cause taxis are, like, the only mode of transport. And if you're not in a taxi, you're on foot. In subways. In subways. And have you seen New York rats? They're huge.

[15:26] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: They look like people.

[15:28] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: They're massive. It's. I saw this video the other day, actually, of, like, someone in New York. And they were, like, trying to, quote, unquote, romanticize New York. Cause it's like, you know how people have this air of, like, oh, New York's so glitz and glamour. And then on the street, he was taking a video of a rat, and I was like, wow, that's awful. And even if you, like, ignore the, I mean, circumstances of living just, like, passing your favorite rat on the street, I think it's just too many bodies and too many people for me to be, like, comfortable around. Cause New York is a tiny space with a massive population. And I feel like I don't know if I would be amazingly successful. And not that I can't define my own success. But I don't know if I'd be amazingly successful, compartmentalized by a thousand other people who want to do the exact same thing. Like, it's really a lot of pressure to be the best, and I don't need that kind of competitive, necessarily, lifestyle.

[16:29] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah. Cause you love just performing for the beauty of it. Are you competitive?

[16:35] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I'd say I am in certain aspects, but it's mostly competition with myself. I know what I am capable of. So I feel really bad when I don't reach that bar that I kind of set for myself, and especially when I know that I can do better on certain things. But I don't feel as if it's not necessarily a competition with other people. Like, of course, sometimes there's that person that's like, oh, they weren't that good. Or you'll see a person who was amazingly good, and you're like, oh, crap, here comes the moment. I have to. They step me up. But I don't feel that I often am at competitive arms with other people. And New York is literally just like that. It's like cutthroat. Because if you're not that, you're not really going anywhere. Like, there's plenty of, like, Broadway caliber people who work as waitresses.

[17:25] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, yeah, but that's the case in Cali, too.

[17:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: No, I know it's the case in Cali, but it's Cali. It's a lot more for actors. Cause California is like, oh, I wanna be on tv. Which I've never really desired to be on tv except for Disney Channel. I always. Every time I would hear a radio ad, it's like, you wanna audition for Disney Channel? Yes. I did, so badly. And it's. Cause I wanted to meet Cameron Boyce.

[17:48] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Aw, that's sweet.

[17:51] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: He was, like, my first tv crush, and I loved his characters. And then I loved Disney Channel as a tv show. And I know the acting is so cheesy and cliche. Cause I look back at the shows and I was like, wow, I like that. But I like that they're so cliche.

[18:09] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: And, well, maybe you'll have an opportunity.

[18:12] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: No, but I wanted to do it as a child actor. I wanted to be on everyone's radar.

[18:17] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Look at this little girl. She's so good. Well, a lot of those actors are actually older, playing young characters, too.

[18:24] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I know.

[18:25] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: So you still have an opportunity. And the college I went to, Occidental, was a campus that they constantly shot films like Clueless. And a couple other movies were shot there, and these were 21 and over actors, but playing, you know, 18 and 19 year olds. So I understand you wanted to actually be.

[18:49] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: No, I mean, like, that's still hopefully different par, though. Like, no, there's still hope for me currently as a performer and actor. But I mean, in the sense of when it was child actors, you were really specific to looking that age. You could be, like, 15 playing like, a 14 year old, but at the end of the day, you were still, like, within that kind of domestic region. They do a lot of different things for teen genres, which is another competitive field because you don't actually see teens teen shows anymore. You can see teens in child shows, but you don't see teens in media about teens. Like, let me bring up a classic Riverdale. That show is about high schoolers. They're all 16. Why are they played by, like, 30 year olds? And they look it too. Like, you ought to not cast the right people for this. And they're great actors. No one's gonna take that from them. But it's just like, you want me, as a media viewer, to believe that this 40 year old woman is 16, and then they use that leeway about this old person playing a young person to do things that young people aren't doing.

[19:49] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Like what?

[19:50] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Heavy drugs, euphoria tv show. All of them are, like, late twenties to early thirties and, like, going do drug sex in parties. It's, like, really. It's unrealistic bounds for people my age and everyone my age looks at each other like, I stay home. I'm too busy crying about college apps and being stressed about my homework to go outside drinking. And it's just, like, unrealistic. And not to say that there aren't parties that happen all the time, like, people doing that. It doesn't really happen in my social circles, but it, like, at some point it kind of does. Cause, I mean, high school parties are a thing people talk about forever, but it's like they're nothing like that. Nobody is going there. Dancing in the led lights high. It's just unrealistic. And they do that for a lot. Like, and they. I mean, like, media and Hollywood and just, like, film production, and I just think it's a really unrealistic standard to set, which is another reason why there's so many, like, conditions in the beauty standard and why I would furthermore, a pressure for women and, like, young girls to look like, like, adult women, which is just unrealistic to reach and causes a lot of, like, struggles in, like, real people. Cause they're like, oh, why don't I look like Maddie from euphoria? She's 30. She's 30 and you're twelve. That's right.

[21:18] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Exactly. Yeah. I will say when I moved to California, it was definitely a shock. But for me, more culturally, like, in Louisiana, everybody in my general area, or let me say Lafayette particularly, there was like, white and black, and that was it. No, in between when I was growing up. So to go to California and see people of different ethnicities and ideologies, it was incredible. It was refreshing. And I was like, oh, my God, there's like a whole world out there. So I'm looking forward to that part. For you to just be able to see even more. Although, you know, we've been very blessed to be around a lot of different people. I just feel like it's gonna go to, like, the 10th level. As far as when you go there, it's gonna.

[22:14] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, I do believe it. Like, could and will expand for me now. I will say, like, growing up personally, I've kinda had not necessarily the luxury, but, like, a different experience of that. Because the places I've been have had, like, multiple races. Like, currently in Houston, it's largely like, multiracial, multiethnic, and, like, a lot of different diversities of belief now. It does depend on what area you're in. Like, they're all there. And I've had different experiences with them. Like, in elementary school, fourth and fifth grade, my school was largely mass white. There were, like, two black kids in the entire, like, my quote unquote graduating class.

[22:52] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You and who?

[22:53] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Me and some guy. And I forgot his name. But it started with an lhide. And in fourth grade, there was one black teacher in the entire school.

[23:00] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You were supposed to remember his name.

[23:01] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Izzy Langston.

[23:03] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Thank you.

[23:03] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Last name, Hughes.

[23:04] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Hold it down.

[23:07] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But it was just like. It was really isolating because there was nobody who looked like me represented in a space. And it was like, wow, why am I here? Why is everyone around me? And not only were they largely white, but they were largely affluent. So, like, coming from money. So the experience was largely different. Cause I couldn't relate to them that well. Like, I went to a sleepover once with a couple of friends that I had from the school. All white girls, of course. And, like, I went into her room, it was massive. And she, like, lining her window, so were like, three to four american girl dolls. And I'm like, she doesn't even play with them anymore. Cause she thinks she's too good for them. But I'm like, girl, I would kill.

[23:50] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: For an american girl doll.

[23:52] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But then again, american girl dolls didn't look like me, either. They had one black girl, and she was a slave.

[23:57] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah, exactly. Oh, we're not even gonna get on it. No.

[24:01] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: American girl dolls are crazy. The storylines, like, oh, my father does this, or, I'm a feminist. I was a slave prevention. No. And I remember in third grade when we lived in New Orleans, when I lived in New Orleans in third grade, we were reading stories because the american girl dolls all have books attached to them. And, of course, we didn't have the dolls, but we read, like, two of the books, and one of them was about the black girl and the native character that american girl line had. And the native character had to, like, run away with her mother because her tribe was being, like, hunted by white people, and the black girl had to run away from slavery and cross a river, which was.

[24:45] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I remember that that is probably one of the reasons and the motivating factors for me to create other outlets for people of color to see themselves in more positive lights because of that experience. Because I remember in third grade, how do we go from Christmas to slaves? But, yeah, I remember for black history, they kept sending home the american girl story. Another enslaved person who mailed himself to freedom. You remember that?

[25:17] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I remember that.

[25:18] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: In a box.

[25:18] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Who mailed himself to freedom.

[25:19] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, my God. And just. It was always slavery. That was always the theme. And it was like, you know, african american people have done so much more.

[25:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I remember the plantation field trip.

[25:29] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, yeah, let's not bring up the plantation. Yeah. Field trip that I asked your principal to please reconsider because it has negative connotations for certain people. And I remember her saying, it's been a great time, had by all. And I was like, did you ask all? Cause here's all saying, no, we're good. So I kept you out of school that day that they decided to go on the field trip. You remember that?

[25:54] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, I remember. I didn't go.

[25:55] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah, we didn't go. And we went celebrate in our own way and went to a museum and went out and just had a good time together. And I remember some of the parents that went calling and saying, oh, my God, you were right. Like, we shouldn't have gone because it was such a, like, romanticized trip, like, you know, going with the wind or something. And, yeah, it was not the business.

[26:23] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But I will say, past elementary school. Now, it's not to say I wasn't isolated as a black girl, but I was introduced to more, like, poc and, like, ethnic views. Because I remember in middle school, I went to a gifted and talented school. And I don't know where in there listed that. It had to be, like, little to no white people, but my flipped, like, heavily asian american to, like, middle eastern. And there were a couple black bo. Largely more black bodies than there were at my elementary school. So I did have a community there, and I did get to see, like, people with different lifestyles and, like, different practices. So I wasn't, like, alone. It was still a little isolating because, like, even though there was a community, it was like a smaller one, but coming from one to like, five. I'll take it. And then in high school, that's when it really broadened for me, because my high school being like an audition school, I will say it is kind of an amalgamation of rejects. People who didn't go to their zone school or their typical academic institution because they wanted to study art. And so we have a lot of diversity in that. All our departments are very separated, but also very full of different people. Like.

[27:38] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Like, what kind of people?

[27:40] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Well, we have a lot of multiethnic people. Like, I finally found, like, a large black community as well as asian American, Mexican. His, like, Mexican American. Because we do have an entire department of people. Like, strictly mexican, but also, like.

[27:53] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah, you guys have a mariachi?

[27:55] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah, we have mariachi department.

[27:56] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Awesome.

[27:57] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But, like, we do have, like, a latin and x just like, population there as well as people, I guess, who don't fall under that branch because there are plenty of other multiethnic groups that off the top of my head, I can't hit. But we also have, which I didn't realize until recently, but a large population of people with disabilities.

[28:21] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Really?

[28:21] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Yeah. My friend Luna actually walks with a cane, and she gets to ride the elevator, which jealousy, but also not because she needs it, but it's because she has. She told me, and I literally, well.

[28:35] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: We don't want to give her.

[28:36] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I can't remember the condition, but she, like. And there's more.

[28:41] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: That's good. Very inclusive.

[28:43] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I also have a friend, Meg, who had, like, was born with one leg shorter than the other.

[28:51] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I think I have that or so my chiropractic. Oh, it's noticeable.

[28:56] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: It was noticeable.

[28:57] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, okay.

[28:58] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: 12Th grade, he had to have his leg amputated.

[29:00] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: What? Oh, my goodness. So is he. He has a prosthetic.

[29:07] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: He used to.

[29:08] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, okay.

[29:08] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But no, now he just likes to walk with, like, a cane. But that's, like, never stopped him before. He seems perfectly fine.

[29:14] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Oh, of course.

[29:15] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: And I just like, it's. It's become so normalized to me just to see that it doesn't even cross my mind anymore. Like, another girl I know Hazel has a service dog at school, and it's just. Yeah. And it's just something like, I see. And it's like, wow. I like how normalized and, like, compact my institution makes this because it's. It's not outside of the norm to have a disability or, like, some kind of condition that is quote unquote atypical. But it's so, so typical. Just where I go to school and being, like, forced to be, like, around it in an environment really makes you, like, not necessarily desensitized, because that sounds, like, negative, but more in the sense of, like, it's not irregular and it's easier to interact with people.

[30:04] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I love that. Oh, that's so beautiful. And I didn't know that either. So thank you for sharing that. And I think you'll. Wow, I have such a well rounded daughter. I love that. Like, you're the bomb.

[30:17] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Thanks, mom.

[30:18] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: I love that about you. And I'm excited for you. And if I could give any advice. Going away one. Come back for Christmas. Definitely come back for Christmas. So we can talk and share and compare notes, but just to. And I kind of don't even need to tell you this, because you've always been very independent, but to enjoy the moment. And as I mentioned, you never know what tomorrow brings or who may or may not be here. So to just really relish every minute that you experience when you do go away. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to Christmas this year with you, the holiday season.

[31:08] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I'm ready to hear a bunch of Christmas music on the radio and nothing else.

[31:15] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Will you sing a little holiday song?

[31:17] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Oh, my God, really?

[31:19] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yes.

[31:20] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Do we have to?

[31:21] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yes, right here on the mic right now. Sing us a little bit from last night.

[31:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I thought we established that. I lost.

[31:32] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: That. You lost your voice. There's something there.

[31:35] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Acapella.

[31:36] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: What you want to sing? Nothing. What about silent night? Just a bit.

[31:46] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: My lip.

[31:47] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Come on. You can't just talk and not sing with that pretty voice.

[31:53] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I feel like I can, though.

[31:57] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: You want me to start you off?

[31:59] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Sure.

[32:00] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Silent night holy night all is calm I guess I was singing last night, too. All is bright hello. Hide it is. You want me to bring it back down? Okay, here we go. One more time. Silent night holy night all is calm all is bright round yon virgin mother and child holy infant so tender and mild sleep in heavenly peace sleep in heavenly.

[33:03] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Peace think about that one.

[33:07] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Aw, thank you for that. I love you so much.

[33:10] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I love you, too, mom. Why did we just have to sing just now? Oh, my God. It felt like a musical.

[33:15] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Cause our life has been a musical.

[33:17] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: But it's like, you know, musicals, when they do the thing where they just, like, break on themselves.

[33:21] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Yeah. This usually sounds a whole lot better than this, but that's okay. This is real life. This is real life.

[33:27] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: A dead air musical.

[33:28] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: A dead air musical.

[33:30] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I said dead air.

[33:31] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Dead air. Oh, wow.

[33:33] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: I think that's a little innovative. Maybe Broadway should have a production where there's, like, no score at all, and then people just start singing.

[33:38] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: Everybody's looking around like, what are the dance moves? Because they're.

[33:41] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: They don't actually know.

[33:42] ERICA MALONE SAN FOX: They don't know, actually. No. Yeah. Cause it's so funny when you watch shows like that and everybody knows the exact same dance steps. But anyway, I digress. Love ya, and Merry Christmas.

[33:51] ISRAEL SERAY FOX: Love you. Merry Christmas.