Thanks for the quick response!
I'm still working on it...the brake pads do not seem to be hitting the tire. They are hitting the metal part. Maybe i don't have the tire on right...it made a funny sound when i rolled it, like it's rubbing against the bike. I think I should take the tire off and start over.
The brake will still not close. It's like i wish I could pull just a little more of the cable to make it stretch, but I'm worried if I go messing around with the brake cable, I will just make my problem worse.