Elle calling my "bluff"

Another Elle sleep story... She was fighting it particularly hard one night, it was a 2 hour full on battle trying to get her to stay in her room. I wasn't even requiring that she sleep, just play quietly in her room until she was ready to sleep... anyway, it was a NIGHTMARE... She escalates when we ask her to be quiet for "baby Christian" who is trying to sleep in the neighboring room... finally she gave up and slept... the next night, Michael is giving it a go as it is off to the same start. He has been in there with her for about 20 minutes and she is starting to pull out "the big guns" I can hear that she is starting to wake up Christian and have had enough. She HATES being alone, so I go in there ready to threaten her with the worst..here's how well that played out...



I went into the room, told Elle "that is enough, if you don't get in your bed and stay there right now, you can go sleep downstairs by YOURSELF!"
She had just been wailing and crying like it was the end of the world and as I "threatened her" she zipped up, stood up and said, in just the sweetest, softest voice ever, "Oh, thank you mama!" Michael and I looked at each other in disbelief, thinking WHAT? There is no way she is going to be fine with being left there by herself... But now that I had threatened it (FYI, be careful what you threaten!!! =) ) I had to follow through. I took her down stairs and told her to lay down on the floor (there was no way she was getting the couch, this was suppose to be punishment not her winning) It was cold down there, I gave her NO pillow and just about the least cozy blanket that I could find. I sternly said "good night" and walking away. I held my breath KNOWING that I would quickly hear "or maybe I don't want to sleep down here". But there was NOTHING. Michael and I walked back up the stairs to our room. We were in shock! 5 minutes past... we kept looking at each other asking "do you think she's alright?". After about 10 minutes, Michael went down to check on her and she was totally asleep! He put a blanket on her, turn the heat up and placed a pillow by her. What a little STINKER! She slept there until 4am! (which for her, is incredible!) Michael and I must have laid there for over an hour, laughing at ourselves, me kicking myself for thinking I could "out smart" the little sugar...