One day last fall my mom handed me a newspaper article about Chris Carr – a mother, elementary school physical education teacher and the author of the book Mother Daze: Tales from the Imperfect Playground. “She seems like someone you’d really like,” my mom said.

I read the article and agreed! Chris was doing a number of local book-signings and I carried that newspaper clipping around for weeks hoping to get to one of them and meet her. But (you know the story) things got busy and then I lost track of the article and never made it to one of her events. A couple of months later I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from Chris, who had seen a sign about my Mamasté Mothers’ Circles and wanted to reach out and say hello.

A week later we met for coffee (at 7 a.m. on a Saturday!!!!) and had the most wonderful conversation about the work we are doing, our families, and our many adventures as women and mothers.

Chris’ book is inspiring and honest and REALLY funny. And I am thrilled to share this space with her.

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Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I have been married to Andrew Carr for twelve years and we have three children Nolan (10), Jane (6), and Finley (4). I enjoy running and truly believe in the power of positive thinking. I was the Class President and an All State Athlete in high school. At the University of Rhode Island I was a member of the Varsity Tennis team and an active member of the Delta Zeta sorority, eventually becoming the President of my chapter. I obtained my Bachelors Degree from U.R.I. in 1993. Upon graduation, I immediately began my teaching career. I spent many years coaching middle school girl’s basketball and softball, and was the assistant tennis pro at Pt. Judith C.C. for eight years. Eventually I left coaching in order to pursue my Master’s Degree in the Administration of Physical Education and Health Education. My entire thesis research project was based on the over-scheduling of today’s youth and how it related to future burn-out rates among athletes.

What was your transition into motherhood like?

My transition into motherhood was filled with love for a new child, loss of the personal freedom to come and go as I pleased, doubt as to whether or not I knew what the heck I was doing, excitement, fear, exhaustion, wonder, sadness, and lots of enjoyment. You name it, I felt it. To be temporarily disconnected from the land of the living was not easy. However, before that first happy hug was even shared, I felt that overwhelming attraction. I couldn’t wait to see the little face of my newborn. After months of anticipation and 36 hours of labor, he was finally here. It was love at first sight once that swaddled little bunny was placed in my arms… nine pounds of pure sweetness. Yet, it felt like my husband Andy and I had been catapulted into adulthood, launched away from the somewhat carefree lifestyle we had been living, now replaced by a world of new challenges and much less sleep. It wasn’t easy, but I knew an incredible adventure was beginning to unfold.

What inspired you to write Mother Daze and what do you hope readers will take away from the book?

Quite simply, I felt it was finally time women were given a high-five, instead of another list of tasks to accomplish. Mother Daze highlights the undeniable gift of a mother’s true love and places it front and center for every one of us to recognize and be proud of. These days, parents are overstressed, kid’s lives are consistently over-scheduled, and as a result parenting has become an increasingly difficult challenge. It’s work!

I wanted to write a story that dared to tell the truth in a humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining style. The book shines a beaming light down on the “girl that grew up” and reminds her to laugh. I don’t pretend to have the answers nor do I pretend to have this parenting thing all figured out. I’m not asking the women of the world to burn their bras at the local Village Green and I do not conceal a superhero suit of spandex underneath my clothes. Nonetheless, I believed the unrealistic expectations placed on women in today’s society had gone a bit too far and I wanted to celebrate women for all they miraculously manage to get done – every single day!

With all that you have going on (working full time, three young children, writing, book-signings) when and how do you nurture yourself and “return to center”?

I find the best nurturing I can do for my self involves a healthy dose of exercise mixed with a generous dab of time spent with my favorite friendships. I don’t ever actually have the time to exercise… and sometimes I actually don’t want to, either. But I always try to make the time. Nike said it best… “Just do it.”

Running is my exercise of choice and I usually do it at the ungodly hour of 6:00 a.m. It’s free, my mind is cleared, I am connected to my thoughts, and an overall release of existing annoyances is accomplished. As exhausted as I am to get out of that bed, the feeling I get when all is said and done is worth every minute. I do believe in the important correlation of body, mind, and mood. There is a connection – a vital connection to our overall enjoyment in life! It’s not easy. It takes commitment. It’s a choice. Take care of “you” first, and the rest will follow. If I can manage to get in a three mile run and follow that up with a chit-chat over coffee with a good pal, my day will definitely be off to a great start. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen but it’s good to set goals.

What’s next for you? How can people best follow along with your work?

There has been a lot of talk about me writing another book. At this point, I have nothing in the works. However, I won’t rule anything out. I’ve always had an interest in writing a children’s book that touches upon the importance of fair play and kindness. And who knows? When my children enter the next phase of life – the teen years – I may grab my pen and start hammering out another “shout-out” to the mamas. For now, people can follow my “Events” schedule at http://www.christine-carr.com or join the Mother Daze Facebook Fan Page and see where I am headed next. The book is available in many Rhode Island bookstores or online at amazon.com, BN.com, Borders.com or directly from the publisher at publishingworks.com.

The next event that women in the area can check out is happening this Friday, May 7. at 7 p.m. The “Mother’s Rock” charity event will take place at Simon’s in Narragansett. It really is just a good excuse to get out of the house on Mother’s Day weekend and have some fun with friends. The cost is $20 at the door. With that, each guest will get a copy of Mother Daze (if they already have one, just give it to a favorite friend), light appetizers are included, and half of the money collected will go towards a charity of choice (to be determined that night). If interested, contact Chris at www.christine-carr.com.

Thank you Chris for sharing your time with us and for sharing your positive message with the world!

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For a chance to win a signed copy of Mother Daze, simply leave a comment here between now and Friday at 8 a.m. EST when I will close the comments and announce a winner.

For a second chance to win, help spread the word about this giveaway. Blog about it, tweet about it, share it on Facebook, call your sister, mention it to your neighbor – it’s all good. (You can use the “share this” button in the lower left hand corner of this post for quick and easy sharing.) Leave a second comment telling us what you did to help spread the word and you’ll be entered a second time.

Comments closed. I’ll be back over the weekend (sooner if I can) to announce the winner!