I'm 60 years old and my mother taught me to pray the rosary when I was 4 or 5 years old.  She taught me to make the sign of the cross three times before we recited the rosary and three times upon conclusion.  "Why three times," I asked her one day.  Her response: "Bishops, when blessing, make the sign of the cross gesture three times.  This is my prayer for the Bishops to be humble.  Many times they don't act like the servants of the servants, but act like the master of the servants.  They need to be humble!" she said.  This wisdom came during the pre-Vatican II era.  Sadly, I still make the sign of the cross three times when I pray the rosary and will continue until the bishops, especially in the USA, begin to act like Jesus, in all humility!