Bad Leak Becomes Bad Leaks

Shut off the main water valve and turned down the water heater to "Vacation" before leaving for work yesterday/Friday morning.  Got back home to see some water -- a puddle, nothing big, but that ain't something I expected to see -- underneath said water heater.  But with the main valve plugged up, no water is squirting through the pinhole.

I had to open up the water for ***u** to use so she could clean the house.  At first, unbelievably, I didn't see any pinhole leaks, and the water that pooled underneath the water heater seeped through the permeable floor.  But eventually I saw that fine squirt -- two, and then three, of them, in fact.  I shut down the main, turned it on again because I really, really wanted to wash the rest of the dishes and clean a load of laundry, then turned it off again once I was done because I saw the water squirt and seep through everywhere.  I'll have to do this bullshit dance until they get home, aren't they?

I have noticed that the water heater seems to act up whenever I turn off the main valve, and when I turn that valve back on and crank it, the leak from the water heater stops.  So, are they interrelated?  If so, haven't seen that before.