A prized personal memory for one Pennsylvania family is now becoming a viral sensation thanks to a throwback post from mom Ricki Weisberg in honor of the first day of school.
When Weisberg's son, Abe Ndege, was in kindergarten, the 5-year-old came home with an important update on his day.
"Hey, you did it!" Weisberg, 42, said in the throwback video of her son, who is now in fourth grade.
"Mommy," little Abe said immediately after getting off the bus. "Terrible sandwich by the way."
Weisberg replied, "Thanks for letting me know."
"Really terrible," Abe replied.
Related: Mom’s ‘tuck and roll’ carpool line tutorial strikes a chord with parents
Weisberg, a non-profit publicist in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, said she shares the video every year on her social media stories and the moment has become an inside joke within the family.
"Someone was like, you need to post this on TikTok," Weisberg told TODAY Parents.
She never anticipated Abe's honest assessment would go viral.
"It’s insane," Weisberg said, adding that actor Jennifer Garner has shared it on Instagram. "The video has almost 10 million views on TikTok. I think Twitter is over 8 million. It’s crazy."
Related: Elementary school makes parents laugh in carpool line with celebrity-inspired signs
Now in fourth grade, Abe thinks "it's hysterical."
"He loves it," Weisberg said. "He wants to be a Youtuber, so he’s feeling like it’s a big moment for him. He’s pumped up. It’s really cute."
But the question lingering in every comment section is: what kind of sandwich prompted such a "terrible" review?
"So in Lower Marion, for some reason, kindergarten is still half day and Abe got morning kindergarten," Weisberg explained, adding that she thought Abe would be able to eat lunch at home. "I'm a busy working mom and I didn't read the fine print from the school that I actually had to pack a lunch on the first day."
Because parents cannot send peanut butter to school, Weisberg said she was in a "super scramble" the morning of Abe's first day.
"I grabbed a stick of butter and made him a butter and jelly sandwich," Weisberg said.
Unbeknownst to Weisberg, the butter had gone bad.
"It was like rancid butter and jelly sandwich," Weisberg told TODAY. "It was truly a terrible sandwich and I deserve all the roasting. I am terrible sandwich mom, that's how it goes now."
While the moment has made the internet laugh, Weisberg hopes it makes other moms realize to give themselves grace.
"The world needed a little laugh, I think that’s why it’s resonating," she said. "Maybe it gives folks a chance to realize that it happens to other people, too. You don't have to be a perfect mom all the time. It's OK."
