I'm being outsmarted by my 2 1/2 year old!!

I'm laughing tonight at my own failures as a parent but I'm at least doing it while my sweet Anna is asleep. We took the front piece off of her crib last week to convert her bed into a "big girl bed". Ever since it has been a nightmare trying to get her to sleep and stay in her bed. We've tried spankings (she began asking for them last night to get us to stay in her room--don't think that's working too well), reward charts, and finally I thought I had the best idea tonight...making her sleep in a baby bed (the pack and play). I threatened with it last night and she finally calmed down and she went to sleep. Tonight after she got out of bed twice I got up in the attic (with mom's help since Jonny is out of town), took the pack in play in her room and set it up. My thought was that she would be really upset with me and get in her big girl bed for the night. NOT so! She got really excited and gathered her pillow, babies, etc as if we were having a camp out in her room. I continued to set it up and explain that this was not playtime and that she was sleeping in the baby bed tonight b/c she disobeyed...yada, yada, yada...I don't think she soaked any of that up. I told her she didn't earn her sticker tonight for the choo choo train ride and she just said, "that's ok mommy I'll try again tomorrow night". Mom and I laughed hysterically after I came out of her room. She went sound asleep. Not exactly the way I planned but she's sleeping! I think the crib front will be reattached tomorrow. She may just not be ready for becoming a big girl quite yet!