my wife is in mexico helping her sick mother. i need power of attorney
to take care of business for her while she is away. if i draft the
paperwork and send it to her, would it be legal if she signs it in
front of a mexican notary public? generally, it needs a california
notary. what can i do?

Hi,
Here is what a US consulate in Mexico says, namely that you need to
have the document notarized by a consulate:
http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/mx2/wwwhacno.html

Here is a list that includes the US consulates in Mexico.  I hope that
your wife is near one of them:

http://usembassy.state.gov/

The sites are not uniform.  She should contact the one she chooses in
advance at be sure when it is open, how she can pay, how many copies
of the document she needs to have, etc.  I don't know if the security
there is a stringent as it is where I live, but I would suggest that
she plan enough time for security controls and waiting in line, and
not have any sharp implement with her.
That may be an overly cautious suggestion, but it's easier to avoid
any problems.  She can ask about that too, especially the time factor.
Of course, this is no professional advice, and only a free comment,
not an "answer" to your question, though I believe the information on
the sites can be trusted.  Less formal sites also mention that
notarization of US documents must be done by a consulate.
Good luck, Myoarin