I was just hoping that sense we are poor (Lets says we claim 55,000K gross) and have three kids under the age of nine, we'd be getting some money back. How much? That is that mystery place to me...
This is a looooooong thread, but I seem to remember your wife saying she was setting aside some of her SE employment $ for taxes. That's important.

If one doesn't pay enough in one's quarterly estimated payments the IRS penalizes you, so that $ needs to be planned for. It can be planned for by taking it off the top and budgeting net, or it can be built into the budget. But you do need to do it.