On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Three French Hens,
Two Turtledoves,
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

December 16th marks the 3rd day of Christmas in the song. It marks 9 days until Christmas in the countdown, and it's also Beethoven's Birthday. Print the coloring page for the 3rd day of Christmas and add to your 12 Days of Christmas Coloring Book.

The activity featured in the Advent Calendar for today is a fun after dinner activity for the family. Decorate dad with red and green crepe paper and other decorations, gather around the "tree" and pose for a picture.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Babies by Jennifer White, About Baby's First Year
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Guide Sites from Other Channels

• The Twelve Days of Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio
• The Twelve Laundry Stains of Christmas by Mary Marlowe Leverette, About Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs
• The Twelve Fishy Sightings by Shirlie Sharpe, About Freshwater Aquariums
• The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Franny Syufy, About Cats

Remember to check back tomorrow to find out what goodies await you on day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas, About.com style!

Headmistress hosted this week's homeschooling carnival over at The Common Room. Enjoy the carnival!

The next carnival will be hosted at Principled Discovery. Submissions are due by Monday at 6 p.m. I look forward to reading your submissions.

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Two Turtledoves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

December 15th marks the 2nd day of Christmas in the song. It marks 10 days until Christmas in the countdown, and it's also Bill of Rights Day. Print the coloring page for the 2nd day of Christmas and add to your 12 Days of Christmas Coloring Book.

The recipe featured in the Advent Calendar for today is my absolute favorite cookie recipe to give at Christmastime. Everybody raves about these cookies. They're elegant, yet easy to make. Children really enjoy helping with these cookies, forming the balls and making the thumb prints. I've been making these with my kids for many years.

Parenting and Family Guide Sites

• The Twelve Days of Finals by Jackie Burrell, About Young Adults
• The Twelve Days of Baby Products by Heather Corley, About Baby Products
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Kids by Katherine Lee, About Child Parenting
• The Twelve Days of Christmas Printable Tags by Sherri Osborn, About Family Crafts
• The Twelve Days of Christmas for Babies by Jennifer White, About Baby's First Year
• The Twelve Days of Kindness by Jennifer Wolf, About Single Parents

Guide Sites from Other Channels

• The Twelve Days of Christmas Decorations by Lisa Hallett Taylor, About Pool & Patio
• The Twelve Laundry Stains of Christmas by Mary Marlowe Leverette, About Laundry
• The Twelve Trees and Shrubs of Christmas by Vanessa Richins, About Trees and Shrubs
• The Twelve Fishy Sightings by Shirlie Sharpe, About Freshwater Aquariums
• The Twelve Cats of Christmas by Franny Syufy, About Cats

Remember to check back tomorrow to find out what goodies await you on day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas, About.com style!

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The origin and counting of the twelve days of Christmas is confusing and depending on which tradition you follow, the counting either leads up to Christmas or begins at Christmas and ends at the beginning of Epiphany. The meaning behind the song is also quite controversial and quite interesting. I'll leave you to do your own research and come up with your own conclusions.

Back to the calendar side, if you're in the first camp, the first day of Christmas would be today, December 14th. Getting the lyrics right is also a challenge, especially when singing with a big group and usually brings a lot of laughter. These printable worksheets and coloring book will help your children learn the lyrics.

The Christmas season is a very busy time of year. All the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, baking and even traveling can be a strain on the family. Here are more sets of Christmas printables to help make it a special time for your family.

More 12 Days of Christmas Fun on About.com

• Day 1 - 12 Days of Family Crafts
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas For Cats
• Day 1 - 12 Laundry Stains of Christmas
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Flea Market Finds
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Fishy Fun
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas Decorations
• Day 1 - 12 Trees and Shrubs of Christmas
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Kindness
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas for Babies
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas Gifts for Baby
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Young Adult Parenting Tips
• Day 1 - 12 Days of Child Parenting Ideas

Remember to check back tomorrow to find out what goodies await you on day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas, About.com style!