I think one of the reasons I forget them, is that I still expect a HIGH from a pushed button, not a not-pushed one.
If you think about the top of the push-button switch, it is high when not pressed, and low when it is pressed. That's how I remember the logic behind the pullup-resistor-enabled switches.
and im re wiring everything ill see what that does any sugestions about wiring should i up the resistor? should i use new buttons? wire it differently?
You should be using a multimeter to make sure that the switches are wired correctly - that there is current flow at only the right times, etc.
You should be using a multimeter to make sure that the switches are wired correctly
Especially to get your head around how those 4-pin square pushbutton switches work. If you don't have a meter, at least hook up an LED and a resistor in series with a power source (you could use the Arduino's 5v for that....) , and probe those switch pins with the button pushed and not-pushed, and draw a sketch like the one I posted.