My full name is Katherine Masami Kilinahe Ozawa. I know it's a mouthful, but fortunately most people just call me Katie. My middle names reflect part of my varied heritage, specifically Japanese and Hawaiian.
I was born Monday, January 26, 1998 at 11:38 p.m. at the Kapi`olani Medical Center for Women and Children. I weighed six pounds, 3.3 ounces and was an impressive 19.5 inches tall.
My mother is Jennifer Ann Eno Ozawa originally from Ocala, Florida and my father is Ryan Kawailani Ozawa who has lived here on these beautiful islands all his life. We first lived in a cozy apartment in Makiki.
I've already forgotten when I first started following things with my eyes, or first discovered my hands. But now that I have this webpage, I should be able to keep better track of the milestones in my life.
In April, I laughed. I also started teething, hard as that is to believe.
In May, I excelled at grabbing things — even shaking my rattle all by myself. Most anything I get a grip on goes straight to my lips, and I get kinda angry if it doesn't fit in my mouth.
Between May and August, a lot of stuff has happened. For one, I learned to roll over (at least back to front) like it was going out of style. I sat up all by myself, and ate a small jar of solid food a day (fruits are great and vegetables are okay, provided they're not green). I passed things from hand to hand, and flip them over and over.
I started crawling when I was eight months old, but it was more lift-and-dragging for a while. By the time I made nine months, though, I had it down pat, and regularly tearing up the rug. Now if there's a speck of anything on the floor, I'll find it... and try to eat it! I even started pushing myself up on things, and experimented with standing on my own.
I also cut my first tooth in late October. I like to use it on mommy and daddy's shoulders.
Despite all the fancy stuff people give me, my favorite toys are usually free. There's mommy and daddy's glasses, first of all, and anyone's wallet (aren't I smart?). I also love plastic straws and all varieties of spoon. I am instinctively attracted to doors, and love to pound on them, and pulling video boxes off shelves can keep me busy for hours.
By December my repertoire of tricks included clapping, shaking my head "no," and waving. I babbled incessantly, often tricking mommy and daddy into thinking I could talk. I lost interest in Gerber (that stuff's for babies!) and began to demand grown-up food. I especially like rice, noodles, bread, Kix cereal, and peas.
1999 & 2000:
In January, I turned one! I met my grandparents (on mommy's side) for the first time, and grandpa quickly taught me a new trick: "Gimme five!" I also discovered the joy of climbing stairs. I could almost walk, as long as I had help, and I'm started to dislike being carried when there was a nice looking floor below.
The spring and summer of 1999 was an exciting time. I took my first steps while my parents were out catching "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," for example, and things haven't been the same since. People can barely keep up with me now!
I also learned how to scribble and color, but my art is so deep no one understands it. I can count from two to four, and I know the letters "B," "P" and "Z." I bark at anything on four legs. Rice and pasta remain my favorite foods, but I am definitely a meat eater, and also like salad (go easy on the dressing!) and even Chinese spinach. Mommy and daddy take me to the beach every week, and few things make me happier than splashing in the ocean.
In October, I had my first Halloween, and collected loot masquerading as "Po" from the Teletubbies, one of the few television shows I care to watch. Did you know I can identify all four Teletubbies, and even match them with their favorite things?
Before my 22nd month was through, I could recite and recognize every letter of the entire alphabet, and count to thirteen. I finally started saying "mama," making mom the happiest woman in the world, and "dat" (dad) too! I sat on Santa's lap for the first time... it was a traumatizing experience!
2001:
By the time I turned three, I had enough personality to fill three kids. I entered the "terrible twos" late, but thanks to my advanced maturity, it wasn't that bad. I merely insisted on doing everything myself, even if that meant taking all morning to put on an unusually complicated pair of shorts or redoing something over again all the way from the beginning if someone tainted my efforts with unwanted assistance.
The alphabet became old hat, and I started to recognize words. I'd memorized a handful of books, and several songs — from modern pop to church hymns. I could reliably count to 40. I got a tricycle and rode it all the time; I loved to visit the zoo, library, museum, and of course the beach all the time. I could, on my own, boot up and log into my grandma's computer, start Microsoft Word, and type my name with the keyboard or draw a colorful sailboat with the mouse. I could even navigate a number of websites (including this one) all by myself.
I visited Nana and Papa in Florida in April 2001, after which I developed a huge obsession with airplanes and NASCAR. (Dad only humors the latter, taking me to the end of Lagoon Drive where we can watch take-offs and landings on the reef runway.) After a couple of false starts, I finally got to spend quality time with other kids at preschool — first at Montessori Community School (right around the corner from home), then at Kama`aina Kids on Lunalilo Street. I started recognizing words, from colors to the names of my classmates to "Sears" and "Macy's" ("M-A-C-Y-star-S!").
2002:
In January 2002, I turned four years old. By this point I was (mostly) sleeping in my own bed, (mostly) bathing myself, conversing, negotiating, and even occasionally "getting wise" (as mom would say). I love Play-Doh, painting with watercolors, and singing — dozens of tunes I learned at school, and pop favorites including songs by Dido, "If You're Gone" by Matchbox 20, and "Follow Me" by Uncle Cracker.
In June, my baby brother Zachary (or Zac for short) was born. Though he wasn't as much fun at first as I thought he'd be, I still enjoyed helping mama take care of him. I help give him baths, bring diapers and wipes, and sing to him when he's grumpy.
Christmas was great. I got a bicycle!
2003:
I turned five in January, and my birthday party was at the neighborhood park. There was a jumper, and a pinata, and all my friends and family were there... including my boyfriend fro Kama`aina Kids, Michael. The next month, I went with my parents and grandma to the Big Island, and I loved it!
Over the summer, nana and papa came to visit... and right after that, I visited them in Florida! Then, back in Hawaii, in addition to swimming lessons, I tried taking hula at the YWCA. The teacher was pretty grumpy, though. I decided to stick with swimming for the time being, and I'm very curious about soccer. I lost teeth left and right, and made out like a bandit thanks to the tooth fairy and inflation.
In the fall, I started kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary School. While it was fun, my parents weren't exactly fans, and a couple of months later I transferred to Voyager, a public charter school. I like it, and my parents like it, so we're sticking with it... as long as it sticks around, at least.
Things I like now? Orange popsicles. Broccoli and spinach. (Really!) Rainbow sprinkles on my vanilla ice cream. Hanging out at the Apple Store. Helping mommy cook. And, of course, playing with my brother! He's so silly, just like daddy.
2004:
In January, I turned six years old. We celebrated the occasion with a pool party at the downtown YWCA. I got lots of toys, got a new bed (a bunk bed!), lost a tooth, and started reading my e-mail for the first time. Boy my friends and family write a lot! It's taking me a little while to get the hang of writing back, but I love every message I get!
That summer, my family moved into my grandmother's house in Mililani. So I left Voyager to start first grade at Mililani Waena Elementary, which was just two blocks down the street. The move also put me in Honolulu's suburban mecca of soccer, so I had my first season with the Mililani AYSO. My team was the "Flaming Tigers."
In August, I got a second little brother: Alex.
2005:
In January, I turned seven years old. I got to choose what kind of party I wanted, so my friends and classmates celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese's in Pearl City.
I really began losing my baby teeth over the summer. I also started doing many things on my own, from bathing to getting dressed to logging on to my Mac G4 and checking my e-mail. But I still loved being a little girl, wearing dresses whenever I could and playing with a Barbie collection that was literally overflowing.
I started second grade, as my brother Zac started preschool at (strangely enough) Kipapa Elementary. I also returned to soccer with the Mililani AYSO. We dubbed our team "Cheetah Girls."
2009:
In January, I turned eleven years old. I graduated from elementary school, and started attending Mililani Middle School. I had my Girl Scouts bridging ceremony and became a Cadet. I got my first iPod (a pink 4GB iPod Nano) and my first cell phone (an iPhone that I inherited from my mom). I was finally able to set up a Twitter account, post photos to Flickr, and write my own blog.
2015:
Hi, this would be Katie herself. Shocking, I can type now. And spell! And use sarcasm excessively! Yeah, so my dad apparently hasn't updated this since 2006. It is now 2015. I'm 17 years old. I'm a teenager!
So. Bit of catching up to do here.
Halfway through my 2nd grade year at Waena, I was transferred to Kipapa Elementary School, where I finished Elementary School, and met a good majority of my now closest friends. (Side note: I now attend school with 12 out of 17 people whose names are on my first grade class list, and 13 out of 24 on my second grade class list. Along with four who I played soccer with (that year). Life's funny like that. One of my first grade classmates is my Junior Prom date! But I'll get to that later.
After Kipapa, I spent three grueling years at Mililani Middle School. Middle School is never pleasant for ANYONE AT ALL (especially when your mom is fighting Breast Cancer-- I'm sure my dad'll link to my darling mother's blog here), so you can imagine how happy I was at the end of eighth grade, and started at my father's Alma Mater, my great-uncle's former place of work, Mililani High School. I am now halfway through my Junior year.
Let's see, what have I gotten up to since 2006? I think I continued playing soccer for another three years, after which, I decided that reading books was better suited for me than chasing other kids. I played flag football for one season, which is memorable only because I was the only girl on the team.
Was I in Girl Scouts in 2006? Don't remember. Been too long. In any case, I'm now an Ambassador Girl Scout! Has a nice ring to it, eh?
I'm now on the Mililani High School student senate board (Is it called a board? I'll call it a board.) Last school year, I was on the staff of Trojan Times! Following in my father's footsteps, though I decided that waking up at 5:00 am was gonna be a thing of the past after the school year ended. I'm in French, Graphic Arts, and Drama now. Fun, fun, fun!
Uh. Hmm. What else? I decided about halfway through Sophomore year that I was actually gonna try and make friends. And I've found some pretty rockin' friends. I attended my first Winter Formal (Titled "Winterball" by my school) last December with a few of my previously mentioned rockin' friends. (And this is probably where my dad will insert the HORRIBLY AWKWARD staged Winterball photo we took (Thanks, LifeTouch).
I've been going to Homecoming, actually participating in Spirit Week (gasp!) and getting up to all sorts of teenage nonsense with them. They're great. And as previously mentioned, some of the kids listed below are still being ridiculous with me! (Examples of said ridiculous people: Kaitlin Kau, Rachel Sunada, and Michael Hererra, plus many more whom I attended school with during the eight years that my dad didn't touch this page. (Maybe I'll somehow get proof that I have friends on here later.)
And you're probably asking; Katie, you mentioned Junior Prom? You're actually gonna go to Junior Prom? Yes indeed, dear readers! As of February 4, 2015, I now have my dress, my shoes, and my date. "Date?" You might be asking. Yup! It's the guy awkwardly standing with me in the Winterball photo. April 11, 2015 is the set date. I'm already reading the online Prom horror stories. This'll be great!
Registration for my Senior year classes was last month. I'm only required to take two courses. The other five, I've chosen for the fun of it. These courses include: Chorus, Acting II, Graphic Design II, and I'm gonna be a Teacher Assistant for my 10th grade English teacher. What do all these courses have in common? No homework!
So, yeah, that's what's going on with my life.
Any questions?