First of all I would just like to say I am a long time reader, first time poster... and am a bit of a noob to all of this.....
But please bear with me

Ok, So lately as a part of being able to attain lucidity easier I have been performing 8-12 reality checks daily. I do things like reading the time, closing my eyes and reading it again (Checking if i can both read, and if the numbers stay the same. I also do this with text.) and another reality check that I am able to perform both easily and discretely is will to push my hand through objects. ( Commonly I attempt to push the two forefingers of my right hand through the palm of my left, or a fist through a desk).

Last night, rather tired I went to bed. My first dream was weird, but I did not realise it at the time. What appeared to be my second dream ( I have no idea if I was awake between them) I performed a reality check (Pushing my forefingers through the palm of my hand), This yielded the same result as It would in waking hours...
Not long after that I remember thinking and realising that I was dreaming, that the past events would never happen in reality and therefore I must have been in a dream. It was a golden moment and I was sure I was lucid. At my excitement I told a DC (my father) that he too was dreaming and that the world we were in wasn't real. I attempted to shoot lighting into a cup (LOL, but anyways...) It was just as if I imagined doing it in waking hours. I imagined the lightning going into the cup, the sound it would make. After nothing happened, I decided to head outside and go for a fly (I have done this once before while lucid and it was GREAT). So anyway, I went outside, knowing I wanted to fly, ran (still wanting to fly), Jumped (believing I would fly), I was about a metre and a half off the ground... but then I tumbled back to earth.

So I guess what I'm trying to ask is why? Why didn't I have control over my dreams?
Why did my reality check prove false? Why couldn't I fly or shoot lightning?

If you guys have any tips, your favourite reality checks, support, help or opinions you would like to offer, they are all welcome
Thank you all so much in advance
-Wde